Shiori-san to Hikigaya-kun
by Veltus
Summary: Hikigaya Hachiman has always thought of himself as loner, never having "friends" and probably never will. When Hikigaya finds out that he wasn't always the loner he thought himself to be, his philosophy and his life might just change.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Familiar Face

 _Hachiman…_

This voice in my head, where have I heard it before? I'm remembering… Waves of red, a sea of green? My head hurts, what is this? It's like I'm forgetting something important.

 _Hachiman._

There it goes again, it's in my head alright. It's a girl's voice, she sounds really young. I doubt she'd be my age. She doesn't sound like my mother, nor does she sound like Komachi. Who is this? The only females in my life who would call me by my first name would be my mother or my sister. This voice… This voice is neither my mother's nor my sister's.

"Hikigaya!"

I open my eyes. _That_ voice sure as hell ain't in my head. Where the heck am I? I see bustling street, crowds of people walking to and fro. A series of restaurants, shops, and cafes line the street sides. I check my phone, it is 7 P.M. What would a stay-at-home loner like me be doing in a busy street at 7 in the evening? I must have had plans for today, although I can't remember them at all.

In front of me is a restaurant, Goose Place, it's called. Apparently, it's new in town and its specialties are birthday parties and whatnot. It looks pretty profitable, most of it is made of glass. On that note, why are glass walls a thing? Eating should be a sacred, private thing, strangers and passerby shouldn't be able to gawk at you while you eat! This is a ridiculous fad, just because you guys can afford a ton of glass doesn't mean you should buy them you know!? At least _I_ have the benefit of using Stealth Hikki at places like these.

Suddenly, something gently collides with my right arm. Now, I've been hit by Yuigahama's fists many times so I know what a fist feels like. This is a fist, it's a fist for sure. I turn my head slowly as to not provoke any further beatings. I hear someone make a slight audible gasp and my eyes are met with a pair of brown ones.

I've been looking at my surroundings but how come I had not noticed her? Orimoto Kaori, the girl I used to like back in junior high was standing before me. What's more is that her face was only inches from mine. Her eyes, brown and bright, were staring back at mine. I can smell her cologne, though I can't properly describe it it's a pleasant aroma. I feel my face beginning to burn up, maybe, just maybe, I might have a fever. Orimoto's pupils dilate. She makes a soft squeaking sound before she takes a step back. We continue to lock gazes, then she suddenly stares at the ground. Is it just me or is she blushing? Calm down Hachiman, you might be misunderstanding things right now. Don't do anything stupid. For all we know she could have a fever too.

"What's up with you, Hikigaya? You've been standing there for a while now. I've been calling you! Do you only react to punches to the arm? Were you meditating?" She asks with mild curiosity while awkwardly chuckling and staring at the ground. Ha. Yes, Orimoto. I, Hikigaya Hachiman, am meditating. I have cast aside my "youth" to become Buddhist monk. I bet they would welcome me with open arms. I bet they'd look at me as a person, not as an anti-social, cynical loner. That doesn't sound bad at all, monkhood, eh? There's an idea.

"Not really, I was just thinking of some things." My tone of voice should imply her to leave me alone but since this is Orimoto we're talking about, I doubt she'd get the message.

"Really? _You_ , thinking of things? Hahaha! That's news to me Hikigaya!" She laughs awkwardly, still staring at the ground. After making fun of me she should have gone back to normal yet she's still in this shy girl state. Honestly, woman. Get a hold of yourself, if I was a normal adolescent, hormone-driven boy I would be conflicted right now! Pull yourself together!

Orimoto continued her awkward laughter for another couple of seconds before it died down. "Honestly, Hikigaya. What _are_ you doing here?" Good question, Orimoto, isn't that the question we're all asking? I look around the street, the crowds are still coming and going. This is a pretty busy street isn't it? My gaze lands on the restaurant in front of me. Goose Place. Restaurant. Specializes in _birthday parties_ and whatnot. June 18. Yuigahama's birthday! There we go!

"Ah, I remember now. It's Yuigahama's birthday today. She invited us to eat at the Goose Place restaurant since there's a birthday discount. "

Orimoto laughs out loud "Honestly, Hikigaya! Forgetting your friend's birthday the moment you get to her party? How thick can you get?" Orimoto exclaims and begins to laugh again, this time it seems she's back to normal. Finally, you pulled yourself together.

"Yeah, well… My mind was preoccupied. Anyways, I'll be going in. They're probably already inside." I hope she notices that this is her cue to leave. If she were to join the party she'd be the odd man out. Besides, why would she be invited anyway?

"Yuigahama's the pink-haired one right?" Orimoto asks. Wow, how the heck did you know that, Orimoto? You actually took the time to know her?

"Uh, yeah, why?" I ask, I have a feeling I know what's going to happen next…

"I should greet her a happy birthday! I just got back from shopping so I should also have something here that would do well as a gift!" Orimoto eagerly says as she rummages through her bags. She was holding a bag. Four of them to be exact. After rummaging for a while she pulls out a Pink Pan-san the Panda. "Here we are, a cute toy for a cute girl don't you think?" she asks me while shoving the toy towards me. "Yeah… Cute…" I say.

Wait, Orimoto's going to Yuigahama's party? That's not good. Orimoto might tell people stories about my dark past! Knowing Orimoto, she doesn't have a screen for what she says so it's possible for her to begin talking about our junior high experiences. I mean, I don't care if people find out but it'll be bad for the party. Yuigahama and the others won't be able to enjoy themselves if they find out about my junior high life. I have to make sure Orimoto doesn't go to the party!

I begin to reason with her "It'll be awkward, you barely know anyone there." Not a bad first attack. "I'll be fine Hikigaya. I'm really good with people. "Oh, really? Well, next attack! "You must be busy, we wouldn't want to hinder you from your other priorities." Yes, pretend to care about that person, an underhand tactic, but effective nevertheless! "Oh don't worry I can kill some time with you guys!" Crap, that didn't work. Third attack! "It's really late, your parents might worry." Hah, the concerned parents card! "My family's out of town. I'll be the only one at home. My dad even told to try crashing at friends' places for the time being so it'll be safer for me." Orimoto says with a smile. Damn, what luck…

Before I'm able to say anything else, Orimoto asks "Don't you want me at that party, Hikigaya?" Uh oh, not good. "Relax Hikigaya, I won't do anything." Orimoto says, gives me a pat on the shoulder and a thumbs up. I'm amazed she's able to do all that with four bags on her arms! "Trust me once in a while, Hikigaya." Trust is not so easily given, woman. Sigh, well, it's not like I can do anything now. I'll just have to hope that she doesn't blurt out anything bad. "Fine, I guess there's no harm in you going. " I say, with an exasperated voice. Orimoto smiles again and shows me the pink Pan-san once more. "So, what do you think Hikigaya?" She asks.

"Yeah, Okay. Whatever. Give that to her yourself. I have my own gift to give." Honestly, what was I thinking, I'm actually allowing her to go through with this? Whatever, she can do whatever she wants, I don't care anymore. I put my hands out, signaling to her to give me the bags. She stares at me quizzically. Honestly, woman, take a hint.

"You're going to greet Yuigahama a happy birthday, right? You're also going to give her a gift. The least I can do is carry your bags for you." Ah… Now I'll have a lot to carry. Orimoto was surprised, but she complies. "Alright, Hikigaya! There you go! Don't drop them okay?" She says as she hands me the bags. Yep, not heavy at all.

"Let's go Hikigaya! We wouldn't want to be too late for your friend's birthday party!" She smiles and starts walking towards the glass doors of the restaurant. Great, she's more into this party than I am. This'll be a blast. I sigh and then begin to follow Orimoto into the restaurant.

 _Hachiman…_

There it goes again. These images, waves of red, a sea of green, a smile… That voice in my head, to whom does it belong to?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: And so the birthday party begins

Apparently, the Goose Place is a buffet restaurant. As we entered the restaurant we were greeted by the sounds of discussion and dining. The sound of clattering glasses and utensils filled the air. People were walking back and forth from dining tables to the buffet. It looks like everyone was enjoying themselves, that's good, after all, you people did pay for an all you can eat meal, right? From the outside, Goose place did look spacious, but inside it felt like that space was doubled. It seemed bigger in the inside, if you catch my drift. Not only that but there were also stairs leading to another floor above! Damn, this place must be _huge_!

"Excuse me, would you and your girlfriend like a table?" said the lady attendant by the door. Lady, do you have your own version of Stealth Hikki? Because I didn't notice you until you spoke. This lady had shoulder length blue hair and blue eyes. She wore a black collar shirt and knee long skirt. Her name tag read Rikka. Honestly, why do I need to know more about this lady, I'll forget her soon enough, once her Stealth Rikka refreshes from cooldown she'll be gone.

"Excuse me, sorry sir. Um… Would you like a table? You'll have to wait 30 minutes but if you queue in now that would save you and your girlfriend plenty of time." she smiles sweetly.

I jolt back to my senses. Crap, why am I dazing off all the time now? Did she say something about a girlfriend? My brain begins to process my answer. Just before I manage to reply Orimoto speaks up "We're actually with a Yuigahama?" Ah, good catch Orimoto, but still, I could have done that myself. Rikka the attendant checks her clipboard for a while and then stares at Orimoto and says "Ah, yes ma'am. Before that, sir, would you like to deposit your bags first? We have a station for storage here at the Goose Place." Oh, thank you! Now I don't have to carry these bags everywhere! Before I can even open my mouth Orimoto chides in again, "Great! You can take the bags from him. Hikigaya, give her our bags." Damn, I can't even rely on myself to speak. Rikka takes the bags from me and hands it to the guard, he walks away, probably to check out what Orimoto bought. I'm telling you girl, there better be no damn underwear in there! After the guard gets out of sight Rikka turns to us. "Follow me, your party is on the second floor. She begins to walk through the crowds and the tables, ushering us to follow her.

"Hey, Hikigaya, are you sure you're alright? It's not like you to daze off like that." asks a slightly concerned Orimoto as we wade through the crowds, keeping an eye on Rikka the attendant. "I'm fine, there just been some things on my mind lately" I reply shorty. We climb up the red carpet marble stairs lined with flowers. Honestly, this is all so posh. "What exactly are those things that are bothering you?" Orimoto asks. I stay silent, I don't plan on replying to this. "Is it something about your clubmates?" Geez, just drop it will you? You never cared about me in junior high so why are you acting like you do now? Buzz off. Orimoto and I continue walking up the stairs behind Rikka. Before Orimoto is able to shoot off another question we reach our party area. It's not much, just two 6 person booths side-by-side separated by the aisle. Orimoto still looks curious but she doesn't pursue me.

I see a pink-haired girl bounce up from her seat. "Hikki! You're here! I thought you wouldn't show up! Is that Orimoto with you?" exclaimed Yuigahama. Yes, Yuigahama, I am a loner but at the bribe of free food you can get my to do many things, like show up at this party. We arrive at the aisle between the seats and Rikka leaves us there. Rikka leaves us to our group, looks like that's the last time I'll see her. After all, Stealth Rikka should be reactivating any moment now. I wonder if she was a loner like me when she was in high school, maybe she's just hard to notice. A lot of people are like that… "Hikki, don't ignore me on my birthday!" whines Yuigahama. Damn, I dazed off again. It appears she has been trying to get my attention.

"Ah sorry, sorry." Hopefully she accepts my apology. I look around us and examine our medium sized group. In the booth to my left are Totsuka, Kawasaki, and Ebina. the bench in front of them was empty except for the little annoying kouhai sitting in it. To the bench to my right are Yukinoshita and Yuigahama, and an empty space between them. In the bench in front of them are Hayama, Miura, and Tobe. Poor Tobe, you weren't able to sit beside Ebina, were you? Better luck next time.

I exchange greetings with everyone, then I take in the sight of our party. There are two booths, each booth has two benches that seat three people. Therefore there are a total of twelve seats. Of these twelve, nine are occupied. Three vacant seats. One for me, the other two for whom? I pipe up "Uh who else is still missing?" "Apart from Zaimokuza going to the comfort room, the group is complete." replies Hayama pleasantly. Yeah, whatever Hayama. "Ooka and Yamato couldn't come for some reason…" adds a rather dejected looking Tobe. Gee, I wonder why that is?

"Nevermind that, Hikigaya-kun. You invited Orimoto to Yuigahama's birthday?" says Yukinoshita with a hint of ice in her voice. Suddenly I felt the room temperature drop. Crap, I completely forgot about Orimoto. The group stares at me waiting for my response. Okay, Hikigaya, no time to be dazing off now. Just tell them what happened outside, okay? "Uh well, I didn't actually invite her? We just met outside and she wanted to greet Yuigahama a happy birthday and give her a gift." I reply slowly. Honestly, relax, it's not like she'll stay for long. "Eh!? Is that true Orimoto?" yelps Yuigahama. "Yep, that's right! Happy Birthday, Yuigahama! Here's my gift, sorry it's not wrapped." says Orimoto, while handing Yuigahama the pink Pan-san. In the corner of my eye I can see Yukinoshita's eyes widen. Yeah, I bet you'd want one of those, huh? Ah, who am I kidding, you already have one don't you!

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much Orimoto!" exclaims Yuigahama while giving her a tight embrace. "It's no problem, Yuigahama. I just love birthdays, oh and that's also a thank you for being Hikigaya's friend." says Orimoto nonchalantly. Suddenly, things get awkward again. Damn it, Orimoto. I mean, I've never officially recognized my relationship with Yuigahama as friendship! I mean, come on, the very _essence_ of friendship is hard to grasp, especially for a loner like me! "Eheheh, right. Thanks Orimoto." replies Yuigahama awkwardly while gazing at me every once in awhile.

Before the situation could get any worse I pipe up, "Anyways, Orimoto's business here is done. I'll accompany her to the taxi station outside. " I say as I begin to walk back towards the stairs. "Hikki! Wait! We can't do that! Orimoto did all this for me!" whines Yuigahama. "Well, what do you suggest then?" I ask. "She has to join the party, of course!" says Yuigahama. Yeah, okay, fi- Wait, what!? "We have a free seat. The food tickets have already been payed for. It would be a waste if no one were to use that one ticket right?" begins Yuigahama. Yuigahama looks at Orimoto and finishes "Orimoto, would you like to join us celebrate my birthday?" I look back and forth between Orimoto and Yuigahama. What are you thinking Yuigahama?! She was already about to leave! Yuigahama tentatively waits for Orimoto's reply, I could feel everyone's eyes on Orimoto. There is absolutely only one way all of this could go and it'll make the night so much longer and more agonizing for a certain loner. Orimoto responds "Well, if you don't mind then I'd be happy to join you."

Ah… Well there's that.

* * *

 **Hello! Veltus here! I'm not sure how these Author Notes are actually done so I'm doing it my way. Anyways, thank you for reading my fanfiction "Shiori-san to Hikigaya-kun" It's a working title which I got from a special manga. :)**

 **This is my first fanfiction and my first work of fiction so I'm pretty sure there's a LOT of room for improvement. I'd be happy to receive reviews about my writing and the story and how I can improve. I want to be a better writer and to give you, my readers, the best experience I can give. I'll do my best to reply to all your messages.**

 **I'm sorry if the appearance of our heroine is being delayed but this is all part of the story. I'll try my best to get her into the story faster but it may still take a while since I don't want to rush the story and her character design. Rest assured she will appear as soon as possible!**

 **That's all for this Author's Note, again, thank you for reading my story.**

 **This is Veltus, signing off.**

 **P.S. Was that a little too cliche? I hope it wasn't because I plan to do it on all of my Author Notes. :P**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! Veltus here! Thanks so much to all of you reading and reviewing my fanfiction, it makes me really happy and also helps me out. Sorry about the slow start to the story but I assure you things will unravel more soon enough. A certain person** _ **will**_ **be having her debut soon, after all!**

 **I feel that I made a mistake writing the seating arrangements so people might be confused. Especially with Isshiki, I only noticed now that I didn't refer to her as Isshiki, I only called her kouhai. So that's a mistake on my part. I'll be much clearer from now on. Anyhow, this is a visual representation to help better understand the seating arrangement.**

 **[ Orimoto ] [ Hikigaya ] [ Isshiki ] =-=-A-=-=-=[ Tobe ] [ Hayama ] [ Miura ]**

 **|-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-| =-=-=-=I=-=-=|-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+|**

 **|-THIS IS A DINING TABLE-|=-=-=-S-=-=-=|THIS IS ANOTHER DINING TABLE-|**

 **|-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-|=-=-=-=L=-=-=|-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+|**

 **[ Ebina] [ Kawasaki ] [ Totsuka ] =-=E=-=[ Yukinoshita ] [ Yuigahama ] [ Zaimokuza ]**

* * *

Chapter 3: And so the birthday party continues

Just what have I gotten myself into? It's 7:20 P.M. and I'm sitting beside the two people I would never _want_ to be seated next to. Beside me are Orimoto and Isshiki, Orimoto is on the side of the bench by the wall and Isshiki is on the side of the bench by the aisle, and me? Yep, I'm right smack in between them! Normal passerby would see the sight of us and go "Lucky bastard!" right? Hah, they don't know Orimoto and Isshiki like I do. In front of me are a cheerful Ebina, an awkward and silent Kawasaki, and of course, the lovely Totsuka. All said and done, this arrangement isn't so bad, perhaps I can endure this for another hour or so.

At that moment Yuigahama stands up and begins to speak.

"Hallohallo! Thanks for coming you guys! It's great that I can celebrate my birthday with so many of my friends!"

Cheers and applause greet her words. Good job, Yuigahama, you are such a people's person. Then again, I bet anyone here could get the group to applaud like that, well, except me that is, Heck, I bet even Orimoto would get more applause than me! Oh, what a cruel, cruel world it is.

After Yuigahama finishes her "opening remarks", Yukinoshita stands up and addresses us.

"As you all know, it's Yuigahama- san's birthday."

Ha, no shit, Sherlock. Why'd you have to tell us _that_?

"I would like to ask everyone to sing the Happy Birthday song together." Says Yukinoshita as she and Yuigahama sits back down.

Okay, fine. It's a bit childish but then again, what other songs can we sing? Wait. Hah? Sing? Oh, no way. I look at the people around me, apparently only Kawasaki and I aren't too keen on singing this song. Everyone else is pretty pumped up, especially Orimoto. What the heck, Orimoto? You love birthdays this much?

We all sit in silence, waiting for someone to start singing. You didn't think of this, did you, Ice Queen? How will any of us know when to start? Not like I'll start singing anyways. I'll just add a bass line hum, yep, that's what I'm going to do.

Suddenly, the person in front of me, Kawasaki, begins to sing softly.

"Happy Birthday to you… Happy Birthday to you…"

Woman, careful with that tone. Any normal man would fall for you if you were to sing in that way on his birthday! Speaking of singing, why are you singing? After Kawasaki started singing, the other guys started joining in. It was funny, people were singing in different tones, they made for a bad orchestra. Suddenly a big person jumps in the aisle in front of us.

"What! Did all of you forget the mighty Zaimokuza!?" cries a disgruntled Zaimokuza.

Crap, we forgot Zaimokuza! Wait, he _was_ here? Somebody read chapter two again just to make sure!

The group falls into an awkward silence. Honestly, Zaimokuza, ever since we became third years your attitude has been more obnoxious and loud! In a way, this can be considered an improvement in his part, seeing as he's more social now, but damn. Nice job, Zaimokuza. Way to kill the mood.

"M'lady Yuigahama!" exclaims Zaimokuza

Yuigahama yelps in surprise, unsure of what to say.

Zaimokuza begins to sing the song.

"Happy Birthday to you! Haaaaaaapyyy Biiiiirthdaaaaaaaaaay to yooooouuuu!" sings (more like screams) a soulful Zaimokuza.

The singing was bad, no denying it. Forgive me, Zaimokuza but I cannot complement you in your singing. Even so, thanks to this act the entire group begins to sing again. Heck, even I join in with my bass line hums. After another couple of verses, we finish the song. The group claps, and cheers, etc. etc.

Yukinoshita stands up again and speaks.

"Now that that's done, everyone may now collect their food tickets and head to the buffet." Says Yukinoshita while handing us our tickets.

Great, free food! That's more like it! I eye her as she passes out the tickets to all of us. When she hands me my ticket I can tell she's smiling more. She does know I like the prospect of free food. Our fingers touch when she hands me the ticket. I feel myself blush a little, so does she.

"Thanks." I say.

"No problem, Hikigaya-kun. I know you just love free food." Says Yukinoshita with a soft smile on her face.

"Heh. Right. Guess I'll be going now." I say as I begin to stand.

Tobe, Miura, Hayama, Ebina, and Zaimokuza have already left for the buffet. Isshiki, Yuigahama and Orimoto are talking about something and laughing. It seems Orimoto _can_ get along with everyone. You three better not be talking about me! Ah, who am I kidding, as if anyone would talk about me.

Yukinoshita taps me on the shoulder.

"Hikigaya-kun, would you like to join me to the buffet area?" she asks.

Hoh, Yukinoshita Yukino, Ice Queen, asking _me_ to join her?

"Yeah, sure. No pro-"

Suddenly, an unknown force hits me on the back and shoulders, weighing me down.

"Hikki! Let's go check out the buffet area together!" exclaims Yuigahama.

Ow, my back! Calm yourself, woman! Don't go jumping on guys like a wild animal! That's dangerous, you know? Both for the guy and you! It seems she didn't hear Yukinoshita's request earlier, that's good, I guess?

"Ah, well, Yukinoshita alrea-"

"You may go ahead. I forgot I had something to discuss with Isshiki." Interrupts Yukinoshita.

She wore a reserved smile. Was she really okay with this? I don't get a good look at her face because she immediately walks towards Orimoto and Isshiki, probably to discuss something.

"C'mon Hikki! Let's go!" whines Yuigahama as she pulls on my sleeve.

"Alright, alright. Let's go. Get your hands off of me." I say shortly.

We walk along the aisle in silence. Although the crowd on the second floor is considerably smaller, it was still pretty loud. We walked for a bit, searching the area for the buffet.

"I'm sorry." Says Yuigahama.

"What? What are you sorry for?" I ask.

"I took you away from Yukinon…" she says.

Ah… so she _did_ hear our conversation...

I don't reply, frankly because I have no idea what to say. I spot the sign on the wall saying "Buffet this way". Ah, good, it's time to change the subject.

"It seems the buffet is that way." I say while nodding my head towards the direction the sign points.

Again, we walk to the buffet in silence. I glance at Yuigahama. She looks pretty dejected, is she this sad because of what happened earlier? I can't stand this, a person should at least be happy on their birthday, right? I stop walking and turn to her, she stops walking as well, but she doesn't look at me. Instead she looks at the ground. I can't see her face, I wonder what she's thinking?

"Hey, it's Okay. What happened back there didn't mean anything. It's your birthday. You can afford to be selfish today." I say.

"Really?" Says Yuigahama. She's still not looking at me.

"Hey, look at me." I say in a slightly commanding tone.

Yuigahama raises her head and looks at me. She's not crying, that's a good thing, but I can see in her eyes that she's somewhat sad.

"It's your birthday, Yuigahama. It's your special day. You should be really happy."

What the heck am I saying? Am I actually telling her to be selfish? I suspected a long time ago that she had feelings for me, but I never really believed it, but seeing her these past few months, I feel as if I'm right. Even if that may be the case, I can't accept that reality.

"You're right, Hikki… I shouldn't be sad. "

She rubs her face with her sleeves and smiles.

"C'mon Hikki! I can see the buffet!" exclaims Yuigahama.

She starts fast walking towards the buffet tables, joining Hayama and the others. Yuigahama was a nice girl, or so I thought.

"Leading her on, are you?" says a familiar voice to my right.

I turn my head and see her, Yukinoshita Haruno. She was wearing a brown leather jacker with navy blue jeans and Slip-Ons.

"What?" I ask.

"Yuigahama's a good girl. You shouldn't be giving her false hope." Remarks Haruno

"I'm not giving anyone false hope."

"Really. Well, it's your business."

"Hah, as if you wouldn't butt in, Yukinoshita-san."

"My, my. How rude of you, Hikigaya-kun" cries Haruno, while pretending to wipe away fake tears from her eyes.

"What are you doing here, Yukinoshita-san?" I ask

Haruno replies in a more serious tone. "Mother told me to keep an eye on Yukino-chan, so I'm here on her orders."

"Yeah? How's that going for you?"

"Yukino seems well. It's all thanks to you, Hikigaya. You helped her with her troubles." She says, in a slightly thankful way.

"I didn't do anything. She fixed her problems herself."

"You could keep telling yourself that Hikigaya, nevertheless, you had an important role in Yukino's life. Keep helping her, okay?" says Haruno as she turns away.

Woman, I ain't no babysitter.

"She can handle herself." I say.

"Can she? Anyway, my obligations here are done, I'll be taking my leave." says Haruno as she walks away, disappearing through the crowd.

I scan the crowds of tables and people. Yep, she's gone. I think. What is up with her? Showing up out of nowhere, spying on Yukinoshita. It's family business, I should probably leave them alone. I want nothing to do with their problems. I check my pockets. Good, the food ticket is still there. I smile to myself, this party will turn out just fine, as long as there's still food.

Auurghhh… How could this happen to me…

I sit in my spot beside Orimoto and Isshiki. I look at everyone with sour expression on my face. _How_ could this happen? I watch as everyone eats their meals. Their plates are filled with Japanese food, American, food, European food, etc. Meanwhile, _my_ plate is empty!? By the time I got to the buffet table, it was empty! How? It's a buffet! This… This is madness.

From the other table Tobe googles and smiles at me. "Ei, Hikitani-kun, bro! You okay over there?"

Damn you, Tobe! I may not have food but at least I sit much closer to Ebina than you. Not that I care about Ebina at all.

"My apologies, Hikigaya-kun, it will take the caterers another ten to twenty minutes to refill the buffet." Says Yukinoshita in a mock concerned tone as she eats her sushi.

Ten to twenty minutes!? If a buffet restaurant takes _that_ long to refill they will without a doubt go down in the business world. Time is money, don't you people know that? While everyone is eating good food I am forced to starve here?

"We can share, Hikigaya." Says Orimoto nonchalantly.

There we go, another awkward situation brought on by Orimoto. You are more trouble than you are worth… I see everyone except for Zaimokuza, who is currently in the bathroom again, stop eating and stare at me and Orimoto. Stares of surprise from Yuigahama, Totsuka, Kawasaki, cold stares from Isshiki and Yukinoshita, curious stares from Tobe, Miura, Hayama and Ebina. What were you thinking, Orimoto? People who do that are either family or in a romantic relationship!

"Here you go, Hikigaya." Says Orimoto as she puts a pizza, two tempuras, rice, and a chicken leg on my plate.

The gang was still staring at us, no doubt this will be the most awkward part of the entire party. Next time, Orimoto, don't be so straightforward.

"Thanks Orimoto, but why would you do this?" I ask.

"Haha! Hikigaya, don't overthink things, okay? I just took too much food and realized I wouldn't be able to eat it all!" exclaims Orimoto while giggling.

Ah, there we go, much better. A logical explanation, one I didn't think you could pull off, Orimoto. Still, does this mean you didn't give me food out of the goodness of your heart? Was I just a convenient, disposal bin? That… That, does not matter because I have _food!_ Screw all that thinking, tonight I feast! Thanks to that explanation the group has settled down once more, I have to give it to you Orimoto, you're pretty good at defusing situations, at least for now.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Orimoto-san." Said Hayama coolly.

Orimoto suddenly shudders a bit this remark. Now that I think about it, I bet this is the first time those two stayed at such close proximity since that café episode. I mean, if you were humiliated by a "dashing" guy, you would want to stay away from him, right? Orimoto, why were you okay with this?

"Ah… Well… Y-Yeah! I'm a very thoughtful person!" says Orimoto with a smile.

Before Hayama has any time to react I speak "The food looks great. We should all eat and not let it get cold, eh?"

For once everyone seemed to agree with me. Good job, Hachiman.

* * *

Things went a lot better from there. I guess the food helped calm everyone's nerves. After eating our meals we began some small talk amongst ourselves. Yeah, and by me I mean everyone else apart from me. Since I didn't want to feel to left out I decided to go to the bathroom. As I stood up and began walking to the bathroom someone calls out to me.

"Heeey! Senpai! Where are you gooooing!?" asks Isshiki.

"Yes, Hikigaya-kun, where _are_ you going? The party's not done yet." Says Yukinoshita

After that, more people piped up.

"Hikki! You can't go home yet!"

"Hikitani! Bro! You can't leave now!"

Stealth Hikki must be defunct when it comes to this group of people. I think they developed a countermeasure to my skill. I better evolve it soon or else even normal people will begin to notice me.

"Relax, I'm only going to the bathroom." I say shortly.

I fast walk towards the bathroom before anyone can say anything. I dodge the crowds and reach the bathroom in no time at all. I head inside.

Wow, the bathrooms here are really cool! They've got those smooth, black stones for tiles! The stones even have cracks filled with gold! A huge mirror lines one wall, and there's silver toilet and sink as well. What a luxurious place this is. I look into the mirror. Nothing's different, same unruly hair, same fish eyes. Same old, same old.

 _Did you ask her out?_

What… That voice. Again. In my head. I stare at myself in the mirror, as if to ask myself to whom does this voice belong to? Hang, on. Ask who out? I rack my brain, hoping to find an answer.

 _That Orimoto Kaori? Did you ask her out yet? You do have her email right?_

It's that same voice. That girl, who is she? C'mon brain, think! Why is her voice the only thing I remember?

 _You should ask her out, I haven't seen her but I bet she's really cute. Cute girls are quickly taken you know?_

Tell me who you are, damn it! I need an image! Anything, give me something!

 _I like it when you think hard. Your face gets so scrunched up! It's so-_

Aarghh. My brain hurts again. Is this what happens when you think too much? I can't stop now, I have to know more.

Another couple of minutes pass and nothing comes up in my head. I guess that's that for now, huh? Unknown voice, one day I'll know who you are. I wash my face with cold water and wipe it down with my handkerchief and head out of the bathroom. Outside are three middle-aged men in suits waiting in line to use the bathroom. Sorry, gents. Didn't mean to use it that long. I walk away at a brisk pace, not looking at the men in suits.

* * *

Back in our little corner of the restaurant it seems the group has been talking more lively. Everyone was in a good mood, well, almost everyone. Remembering that voice in my head ruined my mood. Also, in my seat was Ebina. She was talking animatedly to Orimoto about something.

"Your OTP, Orimoto! Who are they? Are they boys? They are? They are!? Kyaaaah!" screams Ebina.

Luckily, she didn't get a nose bleed, but I think I saw some steam escape from her forehead at some point. Since my seat was taken by Ebina, I might as well take her seat. Which was right beside... Totsuka! I plump down the bench beside Totsuka, as I watch Orimoto fan Ebina with her hand.

"Hachiman! You want to get dessert?" asks Totsuka

Yes! Anything for you! Take it, take it al- Wait. Right. Dessert.

"Sure thing. Let's go an-"

My phone rings in my pocket. It's just a message, I'll leave it.

But it doesn't stop. It rings and rings.

"Hikigaya-kun, are you not going to answer that?" asks Yukinoshita.

"Yeah Hikki! It could be important." Says Yuigahama.

Yeah, yeah, I get it. I pull out my fine and check the caller id.

Unknown number.

Huh?

"Who is it Hikigaya-kun?" asks Yukinoshita.

"Yeah, Hikki! Who is it?" asks Yuigahama.

"Unknown number." I reply.

Who could this be? Don't tell me… Is this? This has to be. The phone continues ringing. I click the answer call button and put my phone to my ear and wait with bated breath.

"Oni-chan! It's Komachi!"

Hah? Komachi? What's with the unknown caller id then!?

"Oni-chan? Are you there? I'm at a friend's house right now! Mom, allowed me to sleepover. I left my charger at home and my phone died so I'm borrowing my friend's phone."

Ah, well that makes sense. So it wasn't that…

"Ah, Komachi."

"Oni-chan! How's Yui-chan's party?"

"Ah, it's going pretty well. We're at the restaurant, about to eat dessert."

"Dessert? Ah! Oni-chan can you bring some home?"

Oh, Komachi, as much as I would like to talk home all this food here there is no way that's ever going to happen.

"Sorry Komachi, I don't think that's allowed."

"Aww... That's okay Oni-chan, just promise me one thing."

"Sure."

"Walk Yui-chan home."

This girl...

"Sure thing, Komachi." After all, how can I say no to my sister.

"Don't even think about walking anyone else home! This is Yui-chan's special day! She deserves special treatment."

"I got it, I got it." Sheesh, don't you trust your brother enough?

"Okay, Oni-chan! Taishi's calling me now. I'll see you tomorrow!"

I feel my heart drop. Did she say Taishi? Kawasaki Taishi? That insect!?

"Oi, what did you just say?" I say quickly.

"Ahahaha! Just kidding, Oni-chan! Bye!"

The line went dead.

Was she really joking? There is one way to be sure.

"Oi, Kawasaki!"

Kawasaki jumps a little from her seat when she hears her name.

"Y-yes?"

"Where's Taishi right now?"

In a flash her eyes suddenly turn into slits. Right, she's got a brother complex. I can't push too much.

"Hah? Why'd you want to know?"

Crap, gotta think of something.

"Well, you see, I heard from Komachi that he was going on a double date with some friends of his."

I can see the look in her face, she's crumbled. When you think of an innocent person doing something improbable yet possible, there is a possibility you lose all logical reasoning and completely go haywire. Source: Hopefully never me.

Kawasaki quickly pulls out her phone and calls her brother.

"Taishi! Where are you right now? ... You don't have plans tonight? ... You better not be _lying_ to me."

Scary. Really scary. I doubt anyone who heard Kawasaki right now wouldn't dare lie.

"Good. Stay at home. Remember to lock up. Bye." says Kawasaki as she returne her phone to her pocket.

Finally she says "He's at home."

Oh, don't I know it. Thanks to Kawasaki, Taishi isn't going to go anywhere tonight.

"Who was it, Hikigaya? It sounds like you were talking to a _girl._ " asks Orimoto as she continuous to fan Ebina.

What's with that empashis on the last word, huh? Are you saying I can't talk to girls? Mind you there are a lot of girls I can talk with.

"My little sister Komachi. She's checking up on me." I reply.

Yukinoshita pipes up "Of course, it had to be someone from your family." she says with a teasing tone.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask.

"Forgive me for saying this Hikigaya-kun but you don't have anyone you are close to, apart from you family that is." mocks Yukinoshita.

That may be true, but you didn't have to rub it in you know?

"Hikigaya-kun, have you ever had any _close_ friends before?" asks Yukinoshita, this time with a more curious look.

It seems that our banter has piqued the interest of everyone in our group. If you are looking at it from an outside perspective you'd suspect our banter to be flirting, but it definitely isn't. Everyone stopped chatting and focused their attention on us.

"Well, do you? Hikigaya-kun?" she asks.

Really, Yukinoshita. Why _are_ you doing this?

"He does!" exclaims Orimoto.

All heads turn towards her. Even Ebina recovered from her steamfest. What is she talking about? I've never had any friends, therefore I've never had any "close" friends.

"Yeah, she used to visit Hikigaya a lot after school!" continuous Orimoto.

"Haaaaaaaaaaahh?" Everyone chorused.

I admit, even I'm mentally going "Haaaaaaaaaaaahh?" Who is she talking? If someone, anyone, where to visit me after school I would definitely remember them.

Orimoto places a finger on her temple. "Yeah, I remember. Back in junior high some girl would visit Hikigaya after school! It all happened in our last year in junior high."

" _They're all staring, Hikigaya."_

 _"O-of c-course, it's because they think you're c-cute"_

 _"Do you think I'm cute? Hikigaya?"_

Again, why only voices? This voice definitely has to belong to that girl Orimoto's talking about.

"Orimoto-chan, was this girl pretty?" asks Tobe excitedly

"Oh yeah! Definitely! She had red hair and green eyes! She was definitely half foreign for sure!" says Orimoto

"Eh, Hikitani!? You have to introduce me!"

"How can I introduce you to someone I don't know?" I retort.

Looks like Orimoto's description of her jogged my memory a bit. Keep talking!

"Don't deny it, Hikigaya! You two were so close!" she begins to laugh.

No one joined in, probably because it wasn't funny, or maybe they were just so surprised that I actually had a friend.

"Maybe it's not a girl! Maybe it's a guy! Kyaaah!" squeals Ebina as she grabs her cheeks.

"Hahaha it was definitely a girl, that's for sure!" Orimoto says. "You should feel good, Hikigaya! All the guys were super envious! They were saying stuff like "why'd she go for a loner like him!" and the girls all went crazy! Hahaha!" laughs Orimoto.

All our classmates were jealous of me? Was that why I couldn't make friends? No, that can't be. Orimoto said she only started visiting me in our last year. of junior high. Wait, _she_ was the reason why the _entire_ class acted more coldy towards me during our senior year!?

Suddenly, I was barraged with questions.

"Hikki is this true?"

"Senpai!?"

"Where is she now, Hikigaya-kun?"

"You had a _friends_?"

Hold up, too many questions! Calm down everyone.

I look at Orimoto. "I don't remember this girl."

"Eh, you don't? But you guys were always together!"

"Orimoto-san, do you perhaps remember her school uniform? Finding her would be a lot easier if we were to know what school she came from." asks Hayama gently.

Oh, so she's piqued your interest as well? Besides, why would you want to _find_ her? You sound like a stalker right now!

"Not really. I know she wears a dark blue jack with a red necktie and a skirt though. It's hard to remember what she wears when you're so focused on her face and figure, you know?" says Orimoto.

"Man, she must be such a _babe_ to make Hikitani fall for her!" exclaims Tobe.

"Y-yeah." says Yuigahama

"Indeed..." says Yukinoshita

Don't get any wrong ideas! I don't even remember the person! How could I "fall" for someone I don't even remember? This is all fake I tell you.

"Anyways, Hikigaya. Why'd she stop visiting you a month before graduation?" asks Orimoto.

Wasn't she listening a while ago? I _don't_ remember this girl. The logical explanation would be is that I developed a cybernetic organism, livving tissue over a metal endoskeleton and used a drug to make me forget building one. Wait, _that's_ actually the logical explanation?

"Look, I told you before, I don't remember this girl." I say exasperatedly.

"Oh... Well... Try to remember her. I saw a couple of guys ask her out while waiting for you and she rejected all of them. I mean, they were all cooler than you, yet she never went out with any of them."

Yep, that didn't hurt at all, Orimoto.

Everyone still wanted to hear about this mystery girl, myself included, but it looks like Orimoto said what she had to say.

"Sorry, but that's all I know about her. You should be asking Hikigaya questions, but since he doesn't _remember_ her then I guess there's no point."

Hey, don't make it sound like I'm lying and hiding something. I really don't remember her at all!

Orimoto stands up and stretches. She looks at her watch and says "It's getting late and we still haven't eaen dessert yet! C'mon!" she starts walking towards the buffet table.

Meanwhile, everyone in the table was still mulling over our newfound information.

 _I_ had a _friend_ in junior high? A _girl_? What? _Who_ is she?

 _"Hikigaya."_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"Can you promise me something?"_

 _"Sure, anything."_

 _"Don't forget me, okay?"_

 _"Promise."_

Still just a voice, huh, brain?

* * *

 **Here it is! Some of you asked for a longer chapter so here you have it! I hope the content is still good for you guys. I also tried using an alternate writing style in this chapter as well! I hope you all like it!**

 **Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfiction! I hope you can leave a review. It really motivates me.**

 **I'm also open to opinions, thoughts, and suggestions to make a better story. I want to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone and it would be great if you guys could help me out!**

 **That's it for this AN.**

 **This is Veltus, signing off.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again! Sorry about this chapter. It only serves as a transition chapter for the next one. So not too much going on. I hope it still delivers though. :)**

 **By the way, just in case anyone's wondering where I got the idea for the current title. I got it from a manga called Horimiya, which was originally called Hori-san to Miyamura-kun. It's one of my favorite Shoujo mangas, definitely a nice read (it has good art).**

* * *

Chapter 4: And so the birthday party comes to an end

The excitement that ensued after Orimoto's reveal of my so called _close friend_ still lingers in the air but has considerably decreased since we began eating dessert. Leave it to chocolate, ice cream, and cakes to calm a group of gossiping teenagers. I think this is like that myth where if you throw chocolate at an angry girl she would calm down. Not that I believe that, but still, I haven't really _tried_ it so I can't exactly shoot the idea down.

But even so, I can tell my schoolmates are glancing at me from time to time. That's to be expected since the recently found out that a loner like me was close to a girl(that isn't part of my family). Then again, it's not like I'm _really_ close to my mother or Komachi. I still haven't rooted out the possibility of all of this being a hoax. This girl must be non-existent. There's just no way she's real.

"Hey, Yui?" asks Miura

"Uh, yes, Yumiko?" asks Yuigahama in a slightly surprised tone.

"How is your birthday party?" asks Miura.

"O-oh! Yeah! It's going great! I mean, the food is so good! And of course I'm glad my friends are here!" says Yuigahama with a smile.

It's funny how you prioritized the food before your friends, Yuigahama. Then again, the food is pretty good.

"That's good, then." says Hayama.

"Yeauh!" beams Tobe while pounding his chest.

"Indeed." smiles Yukinoshita

"Preach it!"

I guess you can tell who said that.

Yuigahama's phone rings and she excuses herself to answer it. Since the restaurant's still pretty busy and noisy she leaves to find somewhere private to answer the phone.

"So! Who brought gifts!? Apart from Orimoto, of course!" asks Ebina as soon as Yuigahama was out of sight.

It _is_ kind of customary to bring gifts to birthday parties so it was obvious that everyone brought one. Those who had small gifts, like me, carried them in our pockets. The ones who had bigger gifts left them to the Goose Place Storage whatever.

Then everyone began talking about what gifts they bought, or in some cases, made.

While everyone else was busy chatting together, Yukinoshita leans towards me and whispers.

"What did you get for Yuigahama-san, Hikigaya-kun?"

Why was so so interested?

"What did _you_ get for Yuigahama?" I retorted.

"A cook book." she says with a smile.

Hah?

"A cook book?"

"Yes."

"But, why?"

"Yuigahama-san wanted to learn how to cook, remember?"

Of course I remember, who could possibly forget that episode? A cook book? Even if Yuigahama follows the recipe by the letter she somehow manages to mess it up, how would a cook book be any better?

"Uh, Yukinoshita-san, your gift is completely useless. Yuigahama can't even follow recipes." I say definitely

"I wrote it myself. It's was made for Yuigahama and her... _capabilities._ " she whispers back.

"As thoughtful as that may be, Yukinoshita, I don't think anything _good_ will come out of that."

Yukinoshita looks crestfallen because of my remark.

"Ah, indeed… I just thought that it could have been somewhat useful." she says bitterly.

"It's fine, it may not be useful but it'll still be one of the best gifts she'll receive this year."

She looks surprised. "How so, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Well, firstly, you made it yourself. Secondly, it was to help her reach her desire. I think that's a lot of good in a gift. Yuigahama will cherish it for sure." I reply.

"I...I'm glad then." she says as she gives me a small smile.

Suddenly, Yuigahama appears out of nowhere. "Yahallo, Hikki, Yukinon. What are you guys talkin' about?"

"Ah, we were just-" I begin

"Talking about how late it is getting, Yuigahama-san." finishes Yukinoshita.

Oh? Why'd you lie to her? I give Yukinoshita look. In response, she gives me a "not now" look. Sigh, fine. Knowing Yukinoshita she she should have a logical explanation for me later. Besides, this lie isn't hurting anyone.

"Yeah, I think we should really call it a night, Yuigahama." I agree.

"Yeah, Hikki. actually my mom told me that I should let everyone go home, since it's getting so late" she says.

Mm… Good thinking, Yuigamomma.

"Uh, guys?" begins Yuigahama.

Everyone stops chatting and looks at Yuigahama.

"Uh… It's been a really great night with you guys, but it's getting pretty late, so I think we should call it a night." says Yuigahama.

The group nods in agreement.

"Alright, then. Should we get going?" asks Hayama as he stands up from the bench.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm pretty beat myself." says Tobe as he stands, yawns and stretches.

"Eh? Hayama and Tobe are going home together?" asks Ebina with crazy curiosity

Don't make things weird, Ebina!

We stand up and start walking towards the stairs.

It looks like the restaurant is a lot more quiet now, it _is_ getting late. Tobe, Hayama, Ebina, Miura and Yuigahama walk close together while Yukinoshita, Totsuka, Kawasaki, Orimoto, Zaimokuza and I form our own little cluster. Hang, on. There's someone miss-

I feel my arm getting grabbed by hands. Then I feel something soft cling to me.

"Senpai…" whines Isshiki as she buries her face in my arm.

Isshiki! No Public Display of Affection! Actually, scratch that. No Display of Affection at all! Get off me!

"I'm tired, senpai… Carry me home will you?" she says.

Yuigahama's group didn't notice this development of events and so they continue walking towards the stairs. Meanwhile, _my_ group on the other hand stares at me and Isshiki. Everyone's wearing the same wide-eyed expression.

"Isshiki-san, you should stay away from an unruly beast like Hikigaya. I fear for your chastity" says Yukinoshita with a snicker.

"It's not like I'd do anything to her in a crowded place like this." I grumble.

"Oh my, so you _were_ planning on doing something?" sneers Yukinoshita

"If I said I was, what would you do about it?" I retort.

That takes Yukinoshita off guard. I bet she didn't expect me to come up with such a lewd retort.

"I… ah. I would, I would call the police on you, Hikigaya!" she says.

"Lucky for me I don't actually intend on doing anything." I say

"Senpai! Carry me!" Whines Isshiki.

"Hell no! Walk by yourself!" I say forcefully.

Isshiki pushes me away, gives me a frown and starts walking towards the stairs.

"Uh oh." says Totsuka.

Relax, Totsuka. You're safe with me! That kouhai will not stare at you with such a face!

"Guys, let's go already." says Kawasaki dismissively.

"Umph!" replies Zaimokuza

Without another word we continue walking. We get down the stairs and reach the front doors. We see Ebina standing alone by the door.

"There you guys are! What took you so long? Yuigahama and the others went to the deposit area to pick up her gifts. She told us to wait outside." says Ebina.

"Yeah, okay. There are benches outside, we could hang there." says Kawasaki.

Good, a breath of fresh air. Finally.

We step out of the restaurant and into the street. It must have rained a not too long ago because the sidewalk was wet. Water was dripping from the nearby trees. Ah, there goes the benches…

Since we couldn't sit anywhere else we just stood there by the doors of the restaurant. The street isn't so busy anymore, most of the people probably went somewhere to eat. Kawasaki and the others chat by one side of the door. Isshiki, meanwhile is by the roadside talking to someone on her phone. Not wanting to converse with anyone I decide to relax far to the other side of the restaurant doors. I lean on the glass walls, it's a good thing these are tough. I wonder how long I can put this up before someone warns me not to.

In my peripheral vision I see Yukinoshita walking towards me.

"Hikigaya-kun."

I grunt in response.

"Tonight was fun." she says while staring at the ground.

"Yeah. The food was good."

She laughs a little. "Indeed, you certainly enjoyed the food."

"Why'd you lie to Yuigahama?" I ask.

"Huh?" she asks, still staring at the ground.

"Back then, when we were talking about your present. Why didn't you want to tell her?"

"Ah… You see… I wanted it to be a surprise for her." she says.

"Ah, okay."

Frankly, I bet there's more to it than that. But since she was getting kind of awkward I'm not going to persist. This _is_ Yukinoshita we're talking about, I don't think I'll get anything more out of her if she doesn't want to tell me.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun."

"Mm."

"Are you busy next Friday?" This time she faces me.

"Huh?" I ask. She probably needs me to join her for a diet party. Her father is part of the diet, and most of their parties involve bringing "dates".

"There's a party next Friday, my entire family is supposed to go. We have to bring dates."

Bullseye. Right on the spot. I should be a fortune teller.

"Why me?" I ask, although I already know the answer.

"Uh, because I asked you?" she says quizzically.

"Any other reasons?" I ask. Surely that isn't the only reason she would invite me.

"Well, I don't have any other guy friends, and our dates have to be of the opposite sex. You know how these things are." she finishes.

No I do not. My parents are mere corporate slaves. We never go to parties like that.

"What do you say, Hikigaya?" she asks once more.

"Sure. I'm free on Friday." I reply.

There's no room for misunderstanding between me and Yukinoshita. If we were normal teenagers we'd think of this as some sort of indirect confession but we _are_ unusual, so it's all good. Just two mutual benefiters working together, that's all. Also, there's bound to be good food, so I'm not entirely wasting my time.

"Ah, that's good then. Then I will tell you the details next club meeting." she says.

"Right. Looking forward to it." I say.

"Indeed." she says with a smile.

The doors of Goose Place opens and Yuigahama, Tobe, Hayama, and Miura walk out.

"Yahallo! We got the gifts!" exclaims Yuigahama.

Everyone comes together by the front doors.

"There's quite a lot isn't there, Yuigahama?" Says Tobe as he stares at the four bags Hayama's holding.

"Yeah, well, Yamato and Ooka couldn't come to the party so they just gave us their gifts for you. Miura's, Tobe's and my gifts are in here as well." says Hayama.

"Hey, Tobe. You should help Hayato with these bags." commands Miura.

As expected. Her favorite, Hayama Hayato, must be treated well… I begin walking to them.

"Uh okay, but I live in the other direction. " reasons Tobe.

"It's fine. I'll take the bags." I say.

"Huh, Hikki? Why?" asks Yuigahama.

"Yeah, Hikio, why are _you_ going to take the bags?" asks Miura.

"My little sister ordered me to walk Yuigahama home." I say.

"Eh? Really Hikki?" says Yuigahama.

"Ha! A true gentleman Hikigaya is!" says Zaimokuza proudly.

Idiot, a gentleman would do this because it's part of his character, his morals, his code. I'm doing this because I have a sister complex.

"Alright then, here you go Hikitani." says Hayama as he hands me the bags.

I know you know me name, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, as usual.

The bags aren't really that heavy. It's just pretty bulky though. What's in this?

"Well, let's get going then." says Hayama.

Everyone greets Yuigahama one last happy birthday and everyone exchanges goodbyes. The group then separates. Hayama, Miura, Tobe, Totsuka and Kawasaki walk towards the train station. Ebina, Zaimokuza, and Isshiki take a cab together since their houses are further and they say they're too lazy to walk any more. Yukinoshita is picked up by her driver.

Soon it's just me, Yuigahama, and Orimoto left.

"Well, I guess this is it. It was a fun night, Yuigahama-san. Thanks a lot for allowing me to join the party." says Orimoto.

"No problem! Any friend of Hikki's is a friend of mine!" Yuigahama proclaims.

Oi, we're not friends. She's a former classmate, nothing more, nothing less.

Orimoto laughs a bit. "Yeah, yeah. Anyways, Happy Birthday, Yuigahama-san."

"How're you going to get home?" I ask.

"Oh, a cousin of mine works at the Goose Place. She'll take me to her place and I'll crash there." replies Orimoto.

Oh, who could this _cousin_ be?

The doors of Goose place opens and out comes a lady with blue hair and blue eyes wearing a black leather jacket,brown jeans, and military boots. Well, well, well. Rikka the attendant, we meet again.

"Hey, Kaori! Ready to go?" says Rikka as she walks to a red sports car by the sidewalk.

Damn, is that her car? She could afford that as a Goose Place attendant? Maybe, maybe not. I'm not one to butt into other people's personal business so I doubt I'll ever know.

"Bye, Yuigahama! See you later, Hikigaya! Tell me if you meet _her_ again!" says Orimoto as she enters the car with Rikka.

The car's engine starts and rumbles. Yep, sounds like a sports car, except it's been silenced for urban driving. The car slowly rolls by us, the passenger side window rolls down and Orimoto waves at us one last time. We wave back as the red sports car gains speed and drives away. The car turns a corner and we lose sight of it. Yuigahama and I enjoy a moment of silence, it's just me and her in the deserted street now.

After a while, Yuigahama turns to me.

"Hikki, let's go home." she whispers.

Not yet. Not for me anyways. I still have to walk you home.

"Yeah, let's go." I say

As we walk down the street I unintentionally look up, there in the blackness of the sky, was a full moon, shining with moonlight. Walking with a girl at night during a full moon… Yep, nothing romantic about that.

* * *

 **And there's that chapter. So, all HachixYui fans rejoice! Can I hear a round of applause from the Yui fans? *silence***

 **Hahaha! Just kidding, I know Yuigahama has a lot of fans. So as you guys may be suspecting now, the next chapter will be around the HachixYui ship.**

 **Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter, I hope you also write a review, no matter how short. It's just makes me really happy to hear from my readers. Even those reviews that criticize, because in the end I think you all mean well.**

 **This is Veltus, signing off.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I hope you guys like the cover photo I got! It's from Pinterest. Although if you guys _do_** **like it, don't get too attached because I'll be changing it every now and then. Eh, it's just a cover anyways...**

* * *

Chapter 5: The rain won't stop by complaining

Yuigahama and I walk in silence along the street. Although there were occasional passerby and vehicles that passed us by we were pretty much alone.

Walking alone with a cute girl at night is a situation most guys would want to be in. I am not most guys, I understand the situation completely. I know that this is not romantic at all. Only the naïve and the wishful dreamers would think of a situation like this as _romantic_.

Just because the girl you're walking with is nice to you, smiles at you, and talks to you, doesn't mean they actually _like_ you. Some _could_ believe that there is that slight possibility of romantic intention but then again, one shouldn't simply cling onto something as hypothetical as that. In the end, if nothing happens, you're only going to get yourself hurt. Besides, isn't it better anyways to doubt everything? That way if _something_ does happen, it's a complete surprise that makes you incredibly happy? Believing in all these _what-ifs_ and _possibilities_ lull people into a state of hopefulness, and this state is an unstable one that turns people into either optimists or pessimists.

Oh, but then there are the extreme optimists. The ones who believe that if a "window of opportunity" opens itself, you should take it. You will hear stories of people who took a leap of faith and got to where they were now, in situations of "love" these shouldn't be taken into account. How do you know this is a "window of opportunity" not a "door of death"? If you never get together with your "significant other" just because you didn't take a leap of faith or a lucky shot, you should be thankful. If you have to take a leap of faith, a blind shot, just to get someone you "like" to "like" you back, that person shouldn't be worthy of you. Let the universe handle your romance and use your brain power on more important things.

In conclusion, one should deal with whatever is in front of him. Think of all the possibilities but do not assume that these will turn into reality. Once you find yourself in a situation where you thought of _what-ifs_ and _possibilities_ of romance, you should remember this and you won't regret a thing.

I feel a drop of water splash on my hand. Then another lands on my shoulder. Suddenly the drops become more occasional, with less intervals between them. Yuigahama and I rush to the closest shelter, the outside of a café. It had some extra roofing to shelter those customers that chose to eat outside, so that was pretty lucky.

Yuigahama turns to me and says "Looks like it's really coming down, huh?"

Yeah, it sure did.

"It all came so suddenly!" she continues.

Yeah, it sure did.

"Hey, Hikki, should we wait a bit? So that the rain stops?"

"Yeah, we should. If we go now we'll be soaked. The café's closed now but we could still lean on the walls or sit on the ground."

"Eww! Hikki! The ground's dirty!"

Yeah, it probably is, but like hell I'm going to stand here for too long! Besides, only my pants would get dirty, Komachi can wash them for me, so I'm really not losing anything by sitting down on the pavement.

"Right, well, you can stand, I'll sit down."

I put the bags down and slump on the ground in cross-leg position. Just when I thought this night couldn't get any longer. Yuigahama paces around a bit before deciding to sit down as well. She sits down beside me, pulls her feet in and places her head on her knees.

"I thought you said the ground was _dirty_?"

"It is, but I'm really tired. I feel like I can sleep here."

" _Right_. Well, if that's the case, then I'll just _leave_ you here."

Immediately her head shoots up and she stares at me with a surprised and angry expression.

"Eh!? Hikki!? You're going to _leave_ me here!?"

"Oh, how I wish. Sadly, Komachi already ordered me to take you home. Also, if something were to happen to you I would be blamed."

Yuigahama looks away. "Hikki, you're so cruel."

"Heh, don't _I_ know it."

"If you're so cruel, how come you had a girlfriend back then?"

Oh, bringing _her_ up now, are you? What is it so interesting about a loner like me having a friend? Ah, I guess I answered my own question now, did I?

Yuigahama looks back at me. "Girls are emotional people, Hikki. If you say stuff like _that_ to them it really hurts."

"Yeah, and so?"

"Don't you care about other people?"

"Sure." If you were a part of my family then I _would_ care more though.

"Hey, Hikki. What's she like?"

I'd like to know that myself, Yuigahama.

"I don't remember her at all."

"Really? Not one bit?"

"My mind's blank."

Yuigahama looks at me with a worried expression. "If you could… Would you like to meet her again?"

What's with that worried expression? Are you jealous? Damn it, Hachiman. Remember what you said about what-ifs and possibilities? Put them in the back of your head!

"If such a person exists? Then yes, I'd like to meet this person."

"Would you be friends with her?"

That hits me off guard.

"Huh? Uh, I don't know."

"They say if you loved someone before, you could love them again."

"Woah, what's this talk about love? That's putting me and a stranger mighty close."

The street's deserted, not one vehicle or person was in sight, except for me and Yuigahama, that is. In the background I can hear the rain getting weaker. If we had an umbrella, we could leave in a while…

"Orimoto-san said you two were close."

"Yeah? Well, like I said. I don't remember her. So, whatever relationship we had, must be reset."

Yuigahama sadly laughs at that.

"It would reset for _you_ , Hikki. Not for her."

Oh? I guess that makes sense.

"Yeah, well… We'll see. If she and I ever meet again."

"If you do… can you introduce me?"

Sigh, I guess there wouldn't be a point _not_ to introduce you. Another extra friend for your circle of friends.

"You got it."

For some reason, Yuigahama smiles at this. "Great! I can't wait to meet her!"

Really, Yuigahama. You make it sound like we're already in contact.

Yuigahama pipes up again. "So! While waiting for the rain to stop I want to look at my gifts!"

Yeah, whatever. I hand her the bags containing her gifts.

She begins to unwrap her gifts one by one.

"Wow! A Teddy Bear! Thanks Ooka!"

It's a pretty big stuffed toy, it took up an entire bag by itself. It was a brown bear with hearts for eyes.

"Wow! It's a phone strap! Omg it's so cute!"

This goes on for a while until…

"A cook book from Yukinon?" Yuigahama says as she takes a peek into its contents.

"Yeah, Yukinoshita wrote that cook book herself. She told me about it during dinner and told me to keep quiet about it."

"So that's what you guys were talking about!"

Huh? She knew?

"Huh? You knew?"

"C'mon Hikki, I _know_ you two. I can tell when either of you are lying."

Really? If so that's pretty scary!

"Yeah? Sorry about lying to you then."

"It's okay! You guys wanted to surprise me, right? This has got to be one of the best gifts I've gotten this year!"

As I expected. Good job, Yukinoshita.

Yuigahama finishes opening up the rest of her gifts and returns them into the bags.

"Hey, Hikki. Umm… I didn't see your gift here."

Oh crap. I almost forgot to give her my gift!

"Uh, oh yeah. It's here." I pull out a small, brown, fancy wooden box and hand it to her.

She takes it onto her hands and examines it.

"Eh? What is it, Hikki?"

"Definitely not a dog collar."

Yuigahama blushes furiously at this.

"Dummy, Hikki! You're not supposed to remind a girl of an embarrassing moment like that!" she yells as she punches me multiple times on the shoulder.

Ow ow ow! Damn, woman! Calm yourself!

"Relax, relax! I was only teasing! Just open it already!"

Frankly, I have no idea what's in the box myself. Komachi bought it and told me to give the box to Yuigahama and say it was my present. Really, Komachi, were you so doubtful of my gift giving skills ever since that dog collar incident that you _had_ to buy my gift for me? It's strange why she even told me not to _open_ the box. I mean, this is really suspicious. I suspected so from the start. Even so, I couldn't go against my sister, especially when she promised to wash all my clothes for me for the next two months! What a great sister I have.

Yuigahama opens the box and her eyes widen and she blushes furiously.

"Eh!? Hikki!?" she says as she stares at the thing inside.

"What?"

I crane my neck and peer into the box.

Inside the box was a ring. A silver ring. Holy shit. Komachi! What have you gotten me into!?

I immediately try to convince her otherwise. "It's not what you think! That's Komachi's present! She told me to give it to you but say that it came from me! I didn't even know what was inside that until now!"

Hearing my declaration Yuigahama blushes even _more_ furiously.

"Idiot, Hikki! Idiot, Hikki! Idiot, Hikki!" she says as she punches me again, with more force.

"Ouch, it hurts! Calm down!"

Yuigahama slowly stops and stares at the ring in the box.

"I thought… I thought…" she whispers.

Oh, damn. I've gone and done it now, haven't I? What do I _do_? I doubt she'll wear it. I should just return it to wherever Komachi bought if from and get Yuigahama something else.

"Sorry. Give it to me, I'll return it."

Yuigahama looks at me with a somewhat angry, serious expression.

"No!"

"What? Why not?"

"Because… Because… This is a gift! I can't _not_ accept it!"

I guess that makes sense. Out of respect people keep all the gifts given to them, right? No matter how useless it may be. At least I believe that's how people like Yuigahama are.

"Right. Okay. Fine. Keep it then."

We sit there quietly. Yuigahama staring at the ring and me staring at the road, filled with puddles of rainwater. The rain _still_ hasn't _stopped_ but at least it's a lot weaker now. It's merely drizzling now. We should probably go, before it gets stronger. We have been stuck here for quite some time, Yuigamomma might get worried.

Yuigahama breaks the silence.

"Hey… Hikki… Put it on me."

Hah?

"Put what on you?"

Yuigahama looks at me. "The ring…"

"Uh... Do I _have_ to?"

"O-of course! It's my birthday! Y-you should do what I say!"

Sheesh. It's weird that people actually think they should be treated really special on their birthdays. I mean on all my birthdays none of my classmates treated me specially. Well, they _did_ treat me with special displeasure and contempt but I'm not sure whether that was my coincidence or not.

"Fine. Hand it over."

Yuigahama looks away from me as she hands me the box.

I take out the ring and put it in my hand. Rings are peculiar things, aren't they? What's the point of giving someone a ring during their wedding or their engagement? It's nothing but for show. It's just to say "look at me, I have someone I _love!_ " or "It's great that I'm in this _together_ with my love!" Completely useless if you don't care about what other people think. But then again, it _is_ a fashion statement, isn't it.

I should get this over with.

"Yuigahama. Hand."

"Eh? R-right."

She hands me her right hand. I pick up the ring with my left hand and with my right I take hold of Yuigahama's.

I feel myself blushing. Yes, thank you, body. It's a _perfect_ time to blush. Look, even Yuigahama's giving me a weird look.

"Which finger do you want it on?"

"Isn't that obvious?" she whispers

No it's not. I see people in movies wearing rings on _all_ their fingers.

"Just tell me."

"T-the r-ring finger." She blurts out.

"Okay."

I slowly, gently slide the ring onto her ring finger. It's only now that I can actually feel her hand. It's soft and small, the hand of a girl. I think. Do girls really have such small hands? As I put the ring on her finger she whispers something, though I couldn't hear it properly.

"There. All done. How is it?"

Yuigahama stares at her hand and nods.

"Okay. Now that _that's_ over we should get going. Your mom might be getting worried."

"Y-yeah. But it's still raining a bit. Isshiki got me an umbrella for my birthday, we should share that."

I easily find the pink umbrella from the bags since it's the longest item in them. Yuigahama splits the bags with me so that I can hold a couple of bags in one hand and the umbrella in the other.

"Let's go, Hikki."

"Right."

And so we resume our walk. This time we are sharing the same umbrella and walking ever closer to one another. Our arms grazing each other's every once in a while. Yuigahama hums softly as we walk while I am left to my thoughts.

Come to think of it, did she say something along the lines of " _I do"_?

* * *

 **That's that for our time with HikkixYui! I hope you HikkixYui fans like this chapter, not too much romance but it's kinda implied, I guess.**

 **Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. If you have any extra time, please leave a review!**

 **Fun Fact: I couldn't think of a good chapter name so I just got this title from lyrics from the song "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" by B. J. Thomas.**

 **It's a great song I listen to whenever I'm down in the dumps.**

 **This is Veltus, signing off.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Although I have added my own summary of the story this is still to be edited. I'm still open to support from the community! If you guys want to, that is. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 6: His and her past is yet to be completely revealed

By the time we arrive at Yuigahama's house the rain has stopped. Yuigahama knocks on her door a couple of times. After a few seconds it opens and out comes her mother.

"Yui! You're home!"

"Hi momma!" Yuigahama says as she rushes to hug her mother.

Meanwhile, I stand by the door waiting for Yuigahama to dismiss me. Yuigamomma's gaze lands on me and she smiles in surprise.

"Oh! It's Hikki!"

Thanks a lot Yuigahama. Now even your mom's using that nickname…

Yuigahama's mom may not be the "adult" type but I still have to address her formally since she _is_ an adult.

I bow to her and say "Good evening, ma'am."

"My, my! What a formal boy you are!" she says as she laughs. "Would you like to come in and have some tea before you go?" she continues.

"Y-yeah, Hikki! Mom makes great tea!"

That's a pretty tempting offer but I can't stay. I have multiple reasons, in fact, let me articulate. One. Things get pretty awkward if you're alone in a house with your female friend and her mother. People start asking questions left and right and since they're _both_ talkative girls that's double the questions. Two, I've had enough human interactions tonight. It's exhausting to surround yourself with babbling creatures for hours. And three, It's late and I _really_ just want to go home and sleep.

"Thank you for the offer but my parents are expecting me soon."

My parents aren't actually expecting me at all, I doubt they're even at home. Nevertheless, reasoning like this is enough to get adults to leave you alone.

"That's a shame Hikki-chan. I bet Yui would _love_ it if you went inside, even for just a _bit_?"

I shudder. Scary. I don't know why but this is scary. My senses are telling me to leave as _soon_ as possible. Also, please refrain from adding cute honorifics to my name.

Yuigahama pleads with me. "Yeah, Hikki! Just for a little while, please?"

Must. Stand. Ground. Must _not_ waver!

"I'm really sorry but I must take my leave now." I say as I bow again.

"Ah… Alright. Next time then, Hikki-chan." Says a disappointed Yuigamomma.

"Aww… Hikki!"

"Sorry, maybe next time."

Yuigamomma smiles at me and says "Yes, Hikki-chan. _Next_ time! Thank you for walking Yui home."

I bow towards Yuigamomma again and hand her the bags I've been carrying. I wave them good bye, greet Yuigahama a happy birthday once more, and proceed to leave the apartment complex.

"Bye, Hikki! Thanks for walking me! And thanks for the gift!" says Yuigahama with a wide smile.

That was Komachi's gift, you should be thanking her, but then again, Komachi _did_ say to pass it as my gift, so I guess it's a joint gift then?

I exit the building and proceed to walk back home. It's quiet and wet in the street. There are puddles of rainwater everywhere and the smell of petrichor lingers in the air. As soon as I turn the corner I immediately squat, pull at my hair, and scream internally.

What the hell, Hachiman? Did you seriously put a _ring_ on a girl's finger!? Honestly, I don't know why I had such a late reaction to that event but for some reason it never occurred to me that it would have "romantic intentions" at that time. Now that I was able to clear my head I realized I had made a huge mistake. Shit, shit, SHIT!

You're getting rusty, Hachiman. Exposure to society has made you vulnerable! But then again, was there a way out of _that_ situation? Would it have been better if I had _declined_ Yuigahama's request? Putting it on her finger would make her think I have feelings for her, right? Doing something intimate voluntarily _would_ make it seem like there were _feelings_ right? But if I had declined her request wouldn't it have been the same as shooting down a confession?

No, no, no. Hahahaha. As if Yuigahama would have feelings for me. That's bullshit. I'm just not thinking straight. But _what-if_? If she _did_ have feelings for me, what would that mean? Pssshh… It's just a guy putting a ring on a girl's finger, if there weren't statements and vows it doesn't count as a proposal or anything. Yeah, yeah, besides, she knows that I wouldn't like her in that way.

I have to stop overthinking this. I have to get home.

Walking back to my house was more or less uneventful. Apart from the occasional cars driving by or the stray cats I encountered, it was pretty peaceful. I even managed to stop thinking about Yuigahama. Well, that _was_ thanks to a passing truck splashing water all over my pants, but still, it _did_ have a pretty good exchange. Now that I think about it, I should have brought my bike, it would have made the journey much faster.

* * *

My house is dark when I arrive. The surroundings are quiet.

Right, Komachi's sleeping over at a friend's place and my parents are probably still at work. Having parents who take the night shift would be great for a social person because they could secretly bring friends over, but for a loner? Not so much. Then again, it _is_ good to have a lot of peace and quiet in your own house.

I unlock the front door, enter the house, and lock the door behind me. It's cold in here.

"I'm home." I declare to no one in particular.

What greeted me was dead silence. Even Kamakura was already in a deep slumber himself.

It's been a long day, I'm drained. I don't even want to go to school tomorrow. Although I want to plop down my bed and sleep there are things I still have to do. Looks like I have to go in autopilot.

Autopilot: Activate.

Walk up the stairs. Enter my bedroom. Open closet. Randomly pick up sleeping clothes. Change clothes. Place dirty clothes in basket. Head out of room. Enter bathroom. Brush teeth. Return to room. Open phone. Text Komachi that I have returned home. Remember that Komachi's phone is dead. Send a text to Komachi's sleepover friend directed for Komachi alerting her that I have returned home. Place phone on table. Sigh. Lay down on bed.

Autopilot: Deactivated.

There we go. All done. Now, I can rest in peace. For tonight.

…

…

…

I _can't_ sleep! Twist, turn, curl into a ball, straighten, twist, turn, curl into a ball.

No good, my mind just doesn't want to rest right now. Too much has happened tonight. There was the birthday party, Orimoto's sudden appearance, Yukinoshita's request, Yuigahama's gift, and… Her.

My friend from junior high. The person that would always visit me after school. A girl. Red hair. Green eyes. I feel my brain is going in overdrive right now, it's trying to remember this person. C'mon brain! Work faster! Girl. Red hair. Green eyes. Girl. Red hair. Green eyes. Girl. Red hair. Green eyes.

An image pops into my head… It's blurry. I can make out a figure in the distance, leaning on something.

It focuses. Just a bit.

The image is in black and white. The figure has long, flowy hair. It's leaning on some sort of wall.

Suddenly, the visual becomes vivid. It focuses. I can see everything clearly now. It's a girl. She's wearing a school uniform. She has long, flowy, red hair. I can't see her face. I'm too far away and her hair, being blown by the wind, is covering her face. The gleam from the sun basks her in an orange-yellow radiance, this lighting makes her look like some sort of heavenly being. She's leaning on a wall. I remember this wall… It's the entrance walls of my junior high. The girl turns her head and gazes at me. I can see her face now. Fair skin. Green eyes. A friendly smile. She waves at me.

 _Hikigaya!_

Everything goes black. I sit up on my bed. Damn it. Why'd it have to go black _now_? I try remembering again, I rack my brain. But just as suddenly as the vision appeared, it vanished.

I hug my legs and place my head on my knees. I close my eyes as I try to recall the vision I just had.

It comes back but nothing new appears. It's just her leaning on a wall now. My brain can't visualize any more images.

" _Hachi."_

The voice! Fine, brain! I'll take the memory of the voice. Just give me something _new_!

" _I love you."_

What the fuck? Is this really part of my memory?

" _Why are you giving me that look, Hachi?"_

" _W-what look?"_

" _That look! You're making it look like I'm telling you a joke!"_

" _Aren't you?... Ow! Why'd you hit me!?"_

" _I'm being serious, why would I lie about this…"_

" _Huh?"_

" _Hikigaya Hachiman. You are my one true friend in the world. Whatever happens, I'll always be there for you. There is no one in this world that I will love more than you. I love you with all my heart!"_

" _The way you phrased that, it sounds like you really are joking! What a scripted, cliché confession!"_

" _Shut up! This is the first time I've ever confessed to anyone!"_

" _Hahaha! Your face is so red!"_

My eyes snap open. I slump myself back down on my bed and breathe heavily. What was that just now? Did that mystery girl just confess to past Hachiman? Huh? I need to know more.

" _Where are you going for senior high?"_

" _Probably Soubu. None of my classmates will probably get in there, so that's my first choice."_

" _You chose that high school just because your classmates aren't going there?"_

" _Well… You make it sound like a bad thing."_

" _It is! You should think of your future more!"_

" _Relax, it's a pretty high standard school. It'll help me in my future, whatever it could be."_

" _There! Now that's a proper way of thinking."_

" _Yeah… By the way, didn't you say you wanted us to be in the same school for senior high? You could easily pass the entrance exam for Soubu."_

" _Yeah?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _That's the thing…"_

" _What's the thing?"_

" _I won't be studying in Japan anymore."_

My phone rings and vibrates, snapping me back to reality. I groan. From my bed I reach for my phone, groping the table blindly. There we go, got it. I turn it on and I'm partially blinded by its backlight. Damn, I should probably turn on my room lights or something.

I check the inbox. It's a text from Komachi's sleep over friend. What the hell, why is she texting me? Wait, oh. Right.

[Oni-chan! It's great that you're home! I'm in the middle of a pillow fight so I won't be able to text you! ^_^ 3]

[P.S. Please refrain from texting my friend. She's not interested in old guys. :P]

Oi! Who the hell you calling old? Seriously, the nerve of this girl. I place the phone back on my desk and quickly return to my memory hunt. I have to check all my information first. Right, so this girl, she's my friend. She told me she loves me. She wanted to be in the same high school as me but apparently she's going to a different country. Orimoto _did_ say she was probably half foreign, maybe she actually was and that had something to do with her leaving. That's pretty much all I have going for me right now. Okay, time to get back to digging through my memories. It seems that thinking whenever you're alone _does_ give the best results.

I turn around on my bed and place my face on my pillow. An uncomfortable position maybe, but at least I won't fall asleep easily. Now, Hachiman. Remember.

…

…

Any second now, brain.

…

…

" _Hachi!"_

" _Rai! Why are you at my school? You have class too, right? Are you skipping school? Whoah, you're so pale! And you're sweating too! Did you run here?"_

" _H-hachi..."_

" _What's the matter? Why are you crying?"_

" _I-I'm… G-going… B-back…"_

" _Huh? Back to where?"_

" _B-back to America… M-my entire family's going back, t-tonight…"_

" _What? I thought you said they'll wait until you graduate?"_

" _C-change… Of… Plans… My dad's business… It needs him there."_

" _So? Why do you have to come with him?"_

" _H-he just wants us t-there with him."_

" _You're not actually going, right? You said your grandparents are here, they could just take you in, right?"_

" _I have to go with him… If I don't… My brother will be all alone."_

" _Huh?"_

" _I'm sorry! But I can't just leave my brother with him!"_

" _You're leaving me?"_

" _I'm sorry. I came because I-I wanted to see you one last time."_

" _Why couldn't you wait until after school?"_

" _We… head to the airport as soon as I finish school… I can't possibly persuade father…"_

" _Oh. Right… You go then."_

" _H-hachi?"_

" _I said go. There's nothing we can do about it. Have fun in America. I hear there are a lot of hot guys there."_

" _H-hachi… Please…"_

" _Go. You'll get in trouble if you don't go back to school now. You should be glad your dad doesn't put surveillance on you."_

" _Hachi… Don't… Don't let it end this way…"_

" _Hoh? Who said anything about end? I was expecting to stay in contact with you even if you were in America._

" _W-what?"_

" _I didn't say anything about ending things. You did."_

" _What? No! I just m-made a mistake!"_

" _Made a mistake… Made a mistake, huh? Mistakes are slips in the façade of people. Those 'slips' are the things that reveal the truth about a person. You just 'accidentally' showed me your true feelings about all this. You want to leave. You don't want to be with me."_

" _N-no! Don't make it sound like that!"_

" _I was never good enough for you right? A loner like me being friends with someone as high and mighty as you?"_

" _Hachi, you're just rambling right now!"_

" _Hahahaha… To think that I actually wanted to change my ways for you. I'm pathetic."_

" _Please! Calm down!"_

" _I am calm. I finally understand what I should do. I should never change my ways. Not now. Not ever."_

" _You're being unfair!"_

" _Yeah? Whatever. It's not like I care anymore."_

" _Why are you being like this?"_

" _Oh? Being like what, exactly?"_

" _Please, Hachiman. Let's just relax a bit, okay?"_

" _Whatever, just stay away from me. I have to get back to class."_

" _Please. Let's t-talk about this! You're just overreacting because I suddenly have to leave!"_

" _Overreacting, am I? You think so? You think I actually care about you leaving? You actually think I value you that much?"_

" _Hachi…"_

" _Rai… Let go of me."_

" _Please…"_

" _Rai. Don't. Touch. My. Hand."_

" _I don't want to leave you…"_

" _Well I want you to!"_

" _Hach-"_

" _You go to America and stay the hell away from me! I never should have trusted you!"_

" _Why?"_

" _Why? Because you bother me! You made me feel things I wanted to feel, and then you just up and leave?I knew I should never have abandoned my old ways. I can't believe I actually trusted you. That I was going to let you change who I was."_

" _I'm-"_

" _No. Don't say anything else. Just fuck off."_

" _I love y-"_

" _Shiori. Rai. Fuck. Off."_

I sit up, shivering and panting. Gah! What the hell was that? That. That was an unexpected turn of events. Was that _real_? Did that _actually_ happen?

God, I'm such a dickhead if that was true… An overreacting scumbag who didn't care for anyone's feelings but his own. Hahaha… I'm despicable… You could tell she was hurt, and yet all I thought about was myself...

Shiori Rai... That's her name? We had an argument before she left for America. That's why she stopped visiting me.

Damn… This is already a mess of my memories and yet I have to continue digging further. My brain is telling me that I have more to remember. Shit… lean against the wall by my bed and hit my head on it several times. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What's wrong with me?

I have to remember more. My brain is hurting but I have to remember more. Something. Anything at all… I have to remember as much as I can…

" _What are you doing at my school, Shiori-san?"_

" _Hachi… Don't. We aren't strangers. Call me by my first name…"_

" _Shiori-san, please refer to me as Hikigaya. Only close friends and family can use my first name."  
"Hachi…"_

" _Why are you here? School's over, your dad must be looking for you."_

" _I'm here because I want you to run away with me."_

" _Huh? What are you talking about?"_

" _I'm saying I want to spend my life with you. Let's run from this world, this society, these people… Let's run and hide somewhere far away."_

" _You're kidding. I have a life here. My family's here. I will never leave them for you. Besides, how do you even plan on getting this done?"_

" _I have a plan. So please... Please. Please. PLEASE. Run away with me. Trust me again."_

" _I'm sorry, Shiori-san. I can't do that. Go back to your father. Go back to America. I already have enough problems without you adding to them."_

" _Hachi! I'm… Begging you."_

" _No. I can't do that."_

" _Hachiman…"_

" _I think… I think we should end things here."_

" _Huh?"_

" _Just forget about me."_

" _H-hachi?"_

" _If that's all, I will be taking my leave."_

" _H-hikigaya H-hachiman! Y-you never properly gave me an answer before… P-please give me your answer now."_

" _Answer to what?"_

" _My feelings… I-I love you. D-do you love me too?"_

 _._

 _._

 _._

" _No."_

I'm sweating. My hands are shaking. My lips are twitching. It's cold. Very cold. Hahaha. Hahahha. This. This is… This is a lie! No way that this is actually my past. It's fucked up. This must be from a soap opera script! Lies. Lies. Lies!

Oh, god. What. The. Actual. Fuck. Why am I a mess right now? This is normal in everyday life. People confess and are shot down. This isn't a big deal. She'll move on, right? What the hell. This past is so not messed up. It's far more peaceful than the past of other people. I have no right to flip because of something like this. This is mundane. This is pathetic. Emotions like these, feelings like these, should be tossed into the universe's all-purpose garbage bin. These are emotions all humans can do without. What the fuck…

* * *

I hear something rapping on my window, after a while it suddenly stops. Silence. Then it goes again. _Tink Tink tink. Tink tink tink._ What the heck?

I crawl out of my bed and stand barefoot. The icy floor bites into the bottom of my feet. The room's so cold right now. I slowly creep towards the window. This better not be some jump scare.

I stare out the window and my heart nearly stops.

Shiori Rai, my "close friend", the girl my guy classmates tried to hit on, the girl whose voice I've been hearing in my head for quite some time now, the first girl to ever confess to me, the girl I've done wrong, was standing outside my window. She was wearing all black, shirt, pants, and boots. It's like she's here to rob me or something. Her long, wavy, red hair blows with the gently night wind. She stares at me with her emerald-green eyes, like a sea of green. She looks at me with a blank expression and cocks her head to the side.

Although her voice is a muffled because of the glass between us, I can hear her say something to me.

"What's the matter, Hikigaya? You look like you've seen a ghost."

* * *

 **OC gets her first actual appearance in a chapter! This was by FAR the HARDEST chapter to write! It was so hard because I wanted her first appearance to have an effect on the readers. I didn't have any ideas and suddenly this popped up. I hope it delivers…**

 **Please criticize me about the drama scenes and tell me how I can make more heart wrenching scenes, I want to get good at writing sad stuff so please help me out. If it** _ **was**_ **good then I'm glad, but that was for** _ **sure**_ **by PURE LUCK.**

 **Also, if you guys have time, please inform me of all grammatical mistakes in the chapter and I'll edit as soon as possible.**

 **So, umm yeah… Thank you for taking the time to read this new chapter and I hope you guys take the time to write a review as well!**

 **This is Veltus, signing off.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Let the right one in

What is she doing here? This can't be a coincidence, what sick, almighty being would come up with such a situation for me? Definitely not the God of Romantic Comedies that's for sure. Shit, what do I do? She's probably here to kill me for what I did to her! Not good, not good!

"Hikigaya. Can I come in?" she says through the glass.

Damn. She said it. Could I still feign ignorance? No, she already saw me acknowledge her existence outside my window. Oh, I know! I could play dead. Yeah, yeah! She'll probably leave if I do that. Wait… Who in their right mind would leave if they saw someone just collapse in front of them!? More so if they have feelings for that person? Then, again, I doubt she still feels that way towards me, but still… I bet if I were to collapse she'd probably break my window and get in. The best thing to do right now is to call the police! Ooooh… Relax, Hachiman. There's no need to cause a commotion, calling the police right now would be bad for me. I'll just let her in and see what she needs. As long as she, you know, doesn't kill me.

Outside my window, Shiori is staring up at the sky.

"It's starting to rain, Hikigaya. I'm going to get wet and sick, you wouldn't want that, right?"

Oh, if this was a normal situation I bet I would have loved seeing a pretty girl get _wet_ and _sick_ but alas I cannot enjoy such adolescent ideas. This situation is completely messed up. Screw it. Screw it all. Screw logic. Let's just get whatever this is over with.

I unlock the window and open it for her. She hops into my room and looks around.

"Thanks, Hikigaya. Oh. I can't believe your room hasn't changed much over these years."

I close the window as the rain starts rolling down from the clouds. Crap, now I can't make her leave anytime soon… Hang on, did she just say something about my room not changing? Has she been in my room before? I turn away from the window and face Shiori.

This is the girl I've been friends with in junior high? She's exploring my room and touching my stuff! This girl! It seems that she's changed quite a bit over the years, though. She's a bit taller than me and her face looks more mature compared to the vision I had of her. I examine her up and down quickly. She's got a pretty good figure, I guess. One that a lot of guys would probably fawn over, and her… ah… assets are… Not too big and not too small? Just the right size… What the heck am I thinking, damn hormones acting up again!

Shiori slowly walks towards me, bridging the gap between us. As she advances I make my retreat. She's really calm and controlled right now, it's creeping me out. She's like a hitman about to assassinate her target! Soon enough she has me backed up into a corner of my room. Uh, oh, not good. She looks at me with an unreadable expression and steps ever closer.

'W-whoah! W-what the hell are you doing?"

Crap, crap. I'm trapped? Is this it? Is she going to kill me now? Do I really deserve this? I know I did her wrong but that was childish miscommunication! Am I going to get the _Bad end_ of some ridiculous game? I slide down the wall and sit on the ground as she proceeds to enter my personal space. Not like this! I don't want to die yet! Too close! Too close! Get _away_ from me!

"Hahaha! You're still the same scared kid when it comes to humans." Laughs Shiori as she steps back and sits down on the ground a couple feet beside me.

Oh, thank god she's wasn't going to kill me…

Shiori leans on the wall and stares at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry for barging in like this all of a sudden."

If you were really sorry then you should have never gone here in the first place! Why are you here anyways? I thought you were in America? Is this really Shiori? Yeah, it has to be her, right? There's no possibility that it's not her. But… This is too much of a coincidence. How could she be _here_ , _today,_ the same day I suddenly started remembering her? But it has to be her, I mean, she looks almost exactly like the person I had in my vision. This has _got_ to beShiori Rai. It's has to be, I mean, who else could it be?

"I can't believe I've been back in Japan for two weeks now. I thought I'd never get to see this place again so soon." She continues.

I have to make conversation. I mean, I _know_ we had a falling out but since she visited me and is talking to me, doesn't that mean she's over it? Besides, I need answers, and what better way to get answers than to ask her personally. Although I may have remembered quite a bit about her my memory still isn't complete.

"Uh… What are you doing here?" I ask slowly while squinting my eyes at her.

Shiori looks at me and grins.

"I came here to be with you."

"W-what?" I ask incredulously.

"I'm sorry it took me this long to actually meet up. I was just waiting for the proper time."

What do you mean _proper time_? Do I look like a vegetable in season to you?

"Proper time?" I ask with a hint of annoyance in my voice.

"I wanted to meet you alone, in a private place. So I kept surveillance on your house so that I'd know when you would be alone here."

Scary. _Scary_. You're watching my house? My family? What the hell?

"Don't look at me like that. I'm sorry… I just wanted to talk to you in private." she reasons.

"So your first choice was to spy on my house? Why'd it have to be in my house? Couldn't you just get me when I was biking home?" This girl, is she obsessed with me?

"I… I just thought it'd be nice you know? I mean, I came to your room once back then and you were really happy. I thought you'd like it if I was to do it again." She says sadly.

She did all of this, for me? What is _up_ with this girl?

"So you waited until I was home alone?" I ask.

"Yeah. I saw Komachi leaving a couple hours ago and I knew your house would be empty by the time you'd get back."

I begin to be very skeptical. "How do you know Komachi?" Are you keeping tabs on my sister as well? You better not be.

"She's your sister! Of course I'd know that! We're friends! We know each other's family! You even memorized the names of all my first degree cousins for some reason!"

Huh? I did that? I _actually_ did _that_? Man, I must have been crazy for this girl back then... Well, after hearing all these things she has done, I'm pretty sure that ship has burned down. There's no way this girl and I could possibly be friends now.

"So… You did all of this… For me?" I continue.

"I'm sorry… I knew I should have just came to you as soon as I could, but I wanted to surprise you in a nice way, and I thought this was a good plan."

"Yeah? Well, it was pretty crazy." I say in a slightly pissed off voice.

"I'm really sorry. I knew I should have just visited you normally…" she says dejectedly.

"Yeah, but why would you visit me?"

"Huh? What do you mean? Of course I'd visit you. We made a promise to look out for each other. Don't you remember?"

Is it just me or does she seem to not remember we had a _bad_ falling out? Also, what kind of promise is that? How could you look out for each other when you're in different countries? I don't remember promising her anything like that! Then again, I don't actually remember everything from our past. The only promise I remember is the promise about not forgetting her, which I _totally_ broke… Why's she acting like nothing happened? I need to question her about all this, I just have to ask gently. Real. Gently.

"Yeah, but… Didn't we have a big fight?" I blurt out.

Great job, Hachiman. That's really fucking gentle for sure. Then again, I never really did things gently. Straightforward and on point, just the way I like it.

It doesn't seem like she's fazed at all with my question. "That was years ago, Hikigaya. A lot of things have happened since then. People change. I'm over it." She says nonchalantly.

"Really?" I ask in disbelief.

Shiori slowly edges closer to me. I can smell her shampoo at this distance. It's a sweet fragrance. It's intoxicating…

"Hikigaya, you've always told me that you wanted your relationships with people to reset. That you've always wanted to start over with everyone."

Hah. Nope. You're wrong. I gave up on people a long time ago, there's no point in resetting relationships with me. I mean, it'd be great for _everyone_ to just forget about me but that's really not so much of a wish anymore. In the end, I just want people to leave me alone.

"Uh… Did I say that?" I ask in an 'it wasn't me' voice.

"Hikigaya. Why do you think I'm only calling you by your last name now?"

Didn't I tell her to refer to me as Hikigaya when we had our fight? She should know! Why the hell is she asking me this?

"Uh… Because we aren't friends anymore?"

"Well… In a way… you're correct." She mumbles.

She stands up and walks towards the window. She stares outside, gazing at the black sky above.

"You know, Hikigaya… You're the only guy that's ever made me shy and nervous. You made me feel things that no one else did." She says.

Oh? That sounds so unlike me. Was I actually a lady's man deep down? That's a bad joke you know. Besides, _make you feel things_ , what the heck is that all about?

"You were the only friend I wanted and needed, Hikigaya… What I did back then, it destroyed what we had. The bond we had."

I slowly stand up from my position.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about that. I was the one in the wrong." I apologize.

I have to do this. I hurt her. I lashed out at her. My mistakes… My insecurities back then. They hurt her. _I_ did this to her. Sincerely apologizing for what I did is the least I can do in a situation like this.

Shiori looks down at her feet, her hair hides her eyes.

She laughs and says "We were both in the wrong."

"No, you were innocent. There was nothing wrong with you leaving. It was my reaction that caused problems. If I had not overreacted… Things would have been different."

"You always carry all the weight on your shoulders..."

I don't know what to say to that so I just keep quiet.

We stand in silence together. The rapid clatter of the rain hitting the window and the roof is all we can hear. Why's it so _cold_ …

Then, Shiori speaks up.

"The reason… The reason I'm only calling you Hikigaya…"

Shiori's hands curl into fists and her body shakes.

"The reason I'm only calling you Hikigaya… Is because… Is because…"

She lifts her head and gazes at me with her watery green eyes. A mix of emotions are plastered on her face. Sadness, fear, worry, longing, and hope. Those were only a few of the emotions I recognized on her face. Such a beautiful person, it's my fault she's a mess…

"I want to reset our relationship! I want to start over!" She blurts out.

Staring over… A certain blonde bastard once told me that relationships don't reset, even if you move up a grade and all, but he _did_ say that _I_ was an exception. Resetting relationships… In my eye, a reset is no different from a deletion. This is a philosophy of mine that will never change. Unknowingly, what Shiori was asking for, is a deletion.

There's just one thing I need to do now. Accept her request. Then once our relationship resets, stay away from her. Knowing her, she'll keep her word about this "reset". If I give her the cold shoulder she'll get the message and that'll be the end of that. She'll be free from me, and I from her.

"Sure. Let's reset."

Shiori wipes her face with the sleeves of her long-sleeve shirt. She looks pretty red, but I can see that she's smiling.

"Thank you, Hikigaya."

"No problem." I reply.

We stand in silence again. This time, we hear dead silence. The rain has all of a sudden stopped.

"Hikigaya." She says.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"I'm transferring to Soubu soon."

"Oh."

"We'll see each other more."

"Yeah."

"That's good, right?"

"Yeah."

I suddenly hear a sound of a door closing downstairs. Crap! My parents must be home! Not good! Whenever they get home they do this routine where they check Komachi's room and mine! If they see a girl in my room this'll be really bad.

"You have to get _out_ here!" I hiss quietly at her.

"Hikigaya." She whispers, as if trying to tell me something.

Not now, woman! You have to _go_! You have to go _now._ Shit, are they climbing the stairs? Fuck. I don't know!

"Hikigaya. Before our relationship resets… Can I do one more thing?"

I'm not really sure what you mean by "before our relationship resets", you didn't exactly give me a date or time.

"Sure. Whatever. But make it quick." I say.

Without a warning, Shiori Rai pulls me towards her.

I feel her embrace me. She's gripping me tight, as if she doesn't want to ever let go. I can feel her hands on my back, holding me with force but not enough to hurt. Her hair hits my face and I smell her sweet shampoo. She whispers in my ear.

"Thank you."

Before I can react she heads over to the window and opens it. The breeze of the cold night air makes my skin shiver. Shiori climbs out of the window, gives me one last hurried smile and jumps down.

Holy shit. My room's on the second floor! What the hell's that girl _thinking_? I rush over and stick my head out the window. I scan the surroundings for any sign of her. I expected to see her directly below me, injured or something. Luckily, only the wet pavement and puddles of rainwater are to be seen. Daaaamn… She just jumped down from the second floor and disappeared? Could she be another demon super woman?

I withdraw my head from the window and shut the window quietly. I stealthily tiptoe back to my bed and hide under the covers, pretending to sleep. A couple minutes pass by in silence, my parents have not opened my door yet. Maybe they were so tired that they just decided to skip their routine? Yeah, that's probably it. Although, just to be sure I still stay in my position for a little longer.

Shiori Rai. She's one crazy girl, isn't she? So she's been in Japan for two weeks? Even though she had plenty of time to contact me she wanted it to be a "special" reunion. This girl, she's such a romantic… I can't believe she even kept tabs on my family and the house! She waited for the perfect time to strike. She waited until I was completely alone at home before she made her move. This girl is sly and cunning. I have to be careful around her. She's also entering Soubu… Fuck. This is such a nuisance.

After a while my eyelids begin to droop. Ah… Finally. After a long day… I'm finally going to sleep. I close my eyes and listen to my own breathing. Inhale...Exhale...Inhale...Exhale...I don't know how long I stayed like this but at some point I fell asleep.

* * *

 **Here's chapter 7! I hope you guys liked Shiori's debut in the fanfiction! It may be too sudden or early but I felt that this was the way to go.**

 **Also, this chapter will be the last quickly posted chapter. My updating pace will probably be slowing down starting now but I'll try to update every week. I need to properly fine tune the plot and Shiori's character. I'm also going to be busy with other things. But don't worry! I'll make sure to update as much as I can!**

 **You guys might be a bit shocked because of the obsession/clinginess Shiori's showing to Hachiman. Don't worry this is** _ **all**_ **part of the plot/story. You'll see what happens in future chaps.**

 **Did anyone get the reference I made with this chapter's title? Hahaha! I hope some of you did! If no one did, it's a vampire movie… Ask sir Google if you're interested! :)**

 **Again, if anyone sees anything wrong with grammar or mechanics, if you have time please let me know. I'll edit it as soon as I can!**

 **That's all for now.**

 **This is Veltus, signing off.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Woot! Milestone! Thank you everyone for the 100 follows! I'm so happy so many people are reading my work!**

 **Also, I am still open to suggestions about titles and summaries. Although the current title, Shiori-san to Hikigaya-kun, has grown on me I am still willing to change it if I find a better sounding one. So if any of you are interested in sharing your ideas, I'd be happy to listen.**

 **I'm open for PMs!**

 **Again, if there are any grammatical and mechanical errors, if you guys have time, please let me know. I'll be checking myself but fixes won't be done for another couple of hours since my eyes hurt from staring at the screen too long.**

* * *

Chapter 8: And so the curtains remain closed, and the school continues schooling.

 _Damn. I'm late_.

That's what's going on in my head as I pedal as fast as I can on my bike. How the hell did I manage to be late? I don't remember being late for school for such a long time now… Right, it's because Komachi wasn't home. After all, she _is_ my human alarm clock now since she started attending Soubu as well. Why'd she have to have a sleepover anyways? I mean, it's good she's not going to be a loner like me but c'mon, Komachi, think of your brother a bit more! I need someone to wake me up in the morning! You can't trust these machines called phones or clocks!

I reach the school gates a little while later. There were also other students by the entrance and just like me they were also running late. Unlike me they don't have bikes, which meant they could head straight to class. I have to put this bike away _fast_! I'm already really late as it is. I head over to the bike racks and find a spot for my bike. Ah, there's one. Okay, bike, lock and rope. Wrap rope around bike, lock bike on bike rack, and we're good! I hope Hiratsuka-sensei doesn't get too mad at me for being late. Actually, scratch that. Who the hell cares, anyway? It's just one tardiness.

"Hikigaya Hachiman."

Huh? Someone called me? I look up from my bike and survey the surroundings, doing a 360 degree turn. There's a kid on the opposite end of the bike racks. He's in a wheelchair, wearing casual home clothes. I squint my eyes and get a closer look on his face. He's pretty young, he's got short red hair and emerald green eyes. Red hair, Green eyes? Huh? I didn't notice it before but he also has two bodyguards sandwiching him, they're wearing white suits and shades. Who the hell is this kid?

He stares at me with contempt and says "Hey. Hikigaya. Hachiman. That's you, right?"

Oh. Could he be a son of someone important? He sure acts like it. Is he a student in Soubu? No, he's much too young, I think. Maybe he's someone's sibling, but why would he be here? Red hair and green eyes, could he be-

"Hey. I'm talking to you." He says with a condescending tone.

I brush off the projecting rudeness from his mouth. Honestly, what are teachers and parents teaching kids these days? Eh, it's not like I'm hurt or anything. I have such a low self-esteem that I don't think any rude remarks would work on me.

"Yeah. What do you want?" I say in a bored voice. "I'm late for class so could you make it quick?" I add.

The kid looks at me with a slightly pissed look.

"My name's Shiori Mamoru." He says flatly.

So? Like I'd give a damn who you are. Wait. He said Shiori?

"Uh, come again?" I say.

"Shiori Mamoru. I'm Rai's brother."

Hah? What are you doing here? Shiori has transferred already? I bet the school's having a field day with this development. But that _still_ doesn't answer why _he's_ here.

"What do you want, Shiori-san?" I ask.

He looks towards the entrance at a parked black limousine.

"I want to invite you to our apartment."

You don't beat around the bush, don't you? I like that. No excess energy is wasted. But still… Me? Invited? To your apartment? Dude, I'm a stranger. I mean, I may have known your sister for a year but I didn't know you and you didn't know me. Then again, maybe I did know you, Shiori Mamoru, maybe your sister and I talked about you. Maybe I just forgot you, like I did her.

"Uh. Why?" I ask curiously.

"I want to get to know my sister's one and only non-family friend. First-hand of course."

So he _doesn't_ know me. Interesting. I wonder why? I guess it's because of him being confined in a wheelchair, maybe he's not allowed to go just anywhere in his state.

"Uh huh. Why does it have to be at your house?"

He lifts his hand and points to his wheelchair and says "I have some difficulties with travelling. Besides, I'm not really allowed to go anywhere too much, mother's orders. The apartment's the _logical_ choice." He drawls the last sentence as if he were talking to some baby.

I see what you're doing kid, aggressive much? No way am I going to be going to this kid's house. Nope! See ya kid, I've got classes to attend to. That is if Hiratsuka-sensei doesn't kill me for being so late.

"I'm kinda busy right now. And I'm late for class as it is." I reason.

"That's understandable. My driver will pick you up after school, is that alright?"

Nope. That is definitely not alright. Why would I _ever_ go into a stranger's limousine!? Hell, no. Over my dead body. But, what do I say to this kid? Shiori Rai's brother, huh? What does he want from me? He probably knows what I did to Shiori back in junior high, for all I know, he might _kill_ me. If _I_ found out some bastard ever hurt Komachi so bad, hell, I'd kill him too!

"Yeah, no. I'm busy. Sorry. Maybe some other time."

Heh. _Maybe some other time_. A phrase used by people who want to give you the illusion of chance and hope. Instead of downright declining a person you add this phrase to help your argument and your image. Not only do you still look open-minded and willing to accept requests of others this also greatly increases the chances of your success in declining. They'll think, oh, she's busy now, but at least I could ask her again some other time for her contact nu- Yeah. Something like that. Nope, I'm not a source. Definitely not. Basically, this phrase gives a better success average than your typical decline. _Maybe some other time_ , hoh, I can't believe I _actually_ got to use that phrase. Way to go, Hachiman.

"That won't do Hikigaya-san. I know you're trying to avoid me. Sadly, your tactics fail to deceive me." He says.

Crap. He found me out. Now I can't decline!

"Seriously, Hikigaya-san. Do my looks actually fool you? I may be a 'kid' but I know enough about older people to know a bit about what they're actually thinking." He continues.

Looks like looks _can_ be deceiving. Then again, his attitude earlier did yell 'I'm not normal, I'm not normal! I can see through people!' Psshh… Whatever.

"You wanted to give me false hope. You wanted me to think that I could ask again some other time and you'd accept. I can see through that much." He finishes.

Damn, I really thought it would work on him. Big whoop, so you deciphered _that. I_ could make a run for it. The entrance to the building isn't too far. But this kid' got bodyguards, he might get them to go after me. No, he can't do that. The school has security guards, all I have to do is to scream and I'll be safe. Actually, I could do that now. It would cause a ruckus but if need be, it's an option. Besides, this kid doesn't seem like the type to actually _force_ people to do his bidding.

Shiori Mamoru sighs and pipes up. "Fair enough, Hikigaya-san. You don't trust me. That's completely understandable. After all, why would anyone go into the car of a stranger?"

Good. Looks like he has a good head over his shoulders. He has a good inkling of what's going on in my head. Seriously, if you knew this much why the hell would you even bother inviting me?

"Yeah. Good that you understand." I say.

"Yes. I guess I'll just have to gain your trust then." He says.

Hoh. How do you plan to do _that_? Trust isn't so easily given, you know?

"Right." I say.

"Farewell then, Hikigaya-san. I'll see you again some other time."

Shiori Mamoru snaps his fingers and one of his bodyguards takes hold of his wheelchair and wheels him towards the limousine. The other guard walks by him, eyeing the surroundings.

Damn, this kid. He wasted so much of my time. I'm probably at least 5 minutes later than I would have been if it weren't for him.

I double check my bike's lock and after doing so, dash to my classroom.

* * *

"Late, Hikigaya!" Hiratsuka-sensei says as she points a stick of chalk at my face.

I raise my hands in a 'you got me' gesture and say "Sorry, I slept too long and something slowed me down." Eh, don't get into details, Hachiman. No point in reasoning with this grandma.

"Mhm." Hiratsuka-sensei says as she gives me a slightly cold glare. Oh crap, did you hear what I just thought of? Not good, not good! Uh, Hiratsuka-sama is a great person! She is a lovely woman who is too high and mighty to marry a low-level male! Ah, who am I kidding, she doesn't have ESP.

"Won't happen again. I promise." I say nonchalantly.

Hiratsuka-sensei breaks into a grin and says "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

"But those are the best kind..." I mutter while averting my eyes.

Hiratsuka-sensei laughs and says "Get to your seat, Hikigaya. We'll talk about your tardiness later."

Damn. This woman doesn't let up. I walk towards my seat, it seems that my arriving late made me the center of attention. This is the thing about arriving late, everyone looks at you and things get awkward. I manage to get to my seat, which is nearest to the wall close to the door, and pull out my notebook and ball pen from my bag. Hiratsuka-sensei begins to discuss again and I quickly scan the room.

Everyone's here, it seems I was the only one running late today. It's amazing how my class has remained relatively the same even after second year. I thought that once I entered third year I'd finally be separated from the bothersome class known as Class 2F. Don't get me wrong, I'm not prejudice to 2F. I think _all_ the classes are bothersome. Even if you go up a year it won't change the fact that you're irritating to deal with. Seriously, the lot of you, look at yourselves; smiling, laughing, creating superficial bonds, and mistaking infatuation for _love_.

Go. Fucking. Die.

Ah... This hits the spot. I have been feeling _out of character_ ever since I found out I had a friend before. Looks like Hikigaya Hachiman is still here; not replaced by some adolescent-driven teenager yapping like a dog in heat just because he found out he had someone back then. Ha. Haha. Speaking of my "friend" it looks like she isn't here.

I do another quick scan of the room to double check attendance. Yep, she ain't here. Maybe I should go ask sensei about her? Ah, what the heck, Hachiman? Why would you _ever_ ask about _someone_? Besides, she did say our relationship would "reset" so if that's the case. then I _shouldn't_ ask about _her_. Yeah, no need to get flared up, Hachiman. Forget about this girl.

Back to my internal thoughts. Where was I, ah, yes, Class 2F. I mean, Class 3G now. After all, we're third years already. As I was saying, miraculously the class remained relatively the same. I'm not saying there weren't any changes at all, but the people who were switched classes didn't really matter. I didn't know them, nor did I care about them. In the second year they were just _there_ , now they're just somewhere _else_. Not that I _did_ care about some of my classmates, they just stayed in my memory because I've had to interact with them quite a bit. If they would just _leave_ me _alone_ I'm pretty sure I'll forget about them as well.

So, Class 3G, we've got Hayama and gang, Yuigahama, Kawasaki, _Totsuka_ , me, and the rest of the insignificant teens known to me as "anonymous". Why'd I have to be stuck in the same class as Hayama and his goons? Those people are the epitome of "youth". Just looking at the lot of them irks me. I would have been fine with just Totsuka, you know? I could even handle Kawasaki! But why did I have to be in the same as _Hayama_ and his _gang_? There's no use crying over spilled milk. Screw that idea and whoever said it, I'll complain as much as I want!

What's that cold feeling inside me? It feels like I'm being watched. Although how a loner like me would know if he was being watched I have no idea, but this feeling, it's like someone's observing me. Time to activate one of my 108 loner skills. Although "Enhanced Peripheral Vision" _is_ more or less a passive ability of mine, properly focusing on it enables my peripheral vision to be more effective.

At the corner of my eye I see Yuigahama stealing glances at my direction. I could have said she stole glances at me but that would actually mean she was looking at _me_. One should not raise their ego too much by saying such things. I'm nothing special. Yuigahama's just a weird chick who stares at everyone. But she's been doing this for a while now, hell, she's not even trying to _hide_ it anymore. This is pissing me off, having someone stare at me for a long time pisses me off.

I scrunch my face into a frown and turn my head to look at Yuigahama. I stare at her with my annoyed face so that she could stop staring. She must have been lost in thought because it takes her a couple of seconds before she notices that I was staring at her. She makes a surprised face and jumps a bit in her chair and quickly hides her face in her textbook.

Good. Keep studying, maybe then you'd have better grades. I don't need you gazing at my direction. Like I said before; you're lucky I'm not the average adolescent male. If I were I may have been caught in your trap long ago. Your glances, your kind attitude, your touch, all these would have captivated the typical guy. Ha, but not me, no room for misunderstandings with this guy! But then again, there is _that_ possibility that Yuigahama actually likes me. I'm not such a typical MC that I wouldn't even _think_ of the possibility. Seriously, those guys are stupid. Rather, I think of the possibility but consider it impossible, after all, who would ever like a cynical, boring, loner like me? Right? _Exactly._

"And that's it for today. Remember to review at home. There will be a pop quiz sometime next week, so be ready!" says Hiratsuka-sensei.

Damn. I didn't listen to her lecture at all. Not that I really need to, actually. Most lectures by teachers are basically oral textbooks. Meaning I could just read the material and I'd be ready for all the requirements needed. Although if the lecture was by a _good_ teacher they would be able to add their own voice to the lecture, thus giving us students knowledge that the textbooks do not. Hiratsuka-sensei is a good teacher, but right now, I hope she didn't give anything special in her lecture. If she did, then that's a shame, move on. No use crying ove spilled milk. Ha, who am I kidding? I'll just ask sensei about her lecture later, that is if I'm still motivated by then.

"Hikigaya! See me after school before you head to club!" yells Hiratsuka-sensei as she leaves the room.

Right. Time to atone for my sins... Later. I should probably get ready for the next class. The teacher will be here any minute.

"Hikki!" says Yuigahama as she walks in front of me.

"Yo."

Yuigahama stands beside my desk and places her hands on it. I see a glint of silver on her finger. Ah, she's wearing the ring. Honestly, Yuigahama, why would you ever wear that in public? Do you think people will actually care if you start wearing jewelry? Are you such an attention whore? But knowing Yuigahama she wouldn't do this for attention, no, she'd wear it because it was a sign of affection. That affection isn't from me, pink girl. That's from my wonderful little sister! Treasure that ring with your life!

"Hikki! Are you listening to me?" says Yuigahama as she pouts at me.

Don't give me that type of look, woman. Although there's no room for misunderstandings between you and me giving a look like that is still pretty appalling.

"Uh, sorry. What did you say, Yuigahama?"

"I was asking you why you were late!" she says as she crosses her arms.

Eh? Why? I was late? Big whoop. Do we really need to talk about such a mundane thing? Whatever. Just answer, Hachiman. After that her business here will be done and she'll scram.

"Alarm clock failed to wake me up. Both the mechanical and the human one." I answer.

Yuigahama looks at me with a curious expression. "Human, Hikki?"

"Komachi usually wakes me up but since she was in a sleepover she wasn't at home this morning. That's why I was late." I say swiftly.

"Eh? It's your fault for not waking up on time!"

"Yeah yeah." I say with a dismissive tone.

I answered your question, now shoo. Go back to your clique. Don't bother yourself with an unruly beast such as myself.

At that moment the next teacher arrives. Oh hoh! Saved! Now, Yuigahama. Shoo. Teacher's here, get back to your seat.

Yuigahama looks at the teacher and looks back at me. She stares at me as if she has more to say. We stare at each other in silence for a couple of seconds, then Yuigahama walks away dejectedly.

Huh? What's with that? You don't have to look so gloomy, you know? If you have something to say, you could say it some other time. It's not like I'm leaving anytime soon.

The classes pass by quickly and uneventfuly. Finally it's time for lunch. Lunch is one of the best things in school. You can leave the confinement that is your classroom and relax elsewhere. You also have time to regain your sanity from being in such close proximity with "youth". To put it in an analogy, lunch equals charger. I begin to walk out of the classroom and I hear Hayama's clique talking animately.

"Oh! Yuigahama-chan! You have jewelry on, today!" says Ooka.

"Yeah, I just realized that, Yui. A ring? You've never worn rings before." says Miura.

"Is it from your boyfriend?" asks Tobe.

The entire clique's attention is focused on Yuigahama and that little silver ring on her finger. Tch. See what I'm talking about? You shouldn't have worn that ring in public, Yuigahama! Why am I still in the classroom? This doesn't need my attention, I should get out... Damn, I can't. I need to hear a bit more.

"Uh, no. It's from someone important to me." answers Yuigahama.

Hah? What's that supposed to mean? Is she talking about me or Komachi?

"He must be really important to you, then." says Hayama.

"Y-yeah. He's important to me..." says Yuigahama.

What's _that_ supposed to mean?

"Yui! It's a guy?! Who!?" shrieks Ebina.

"Uh um! Uh! I'm embarassed to say..." says Yuigahama as she twiddles her fingers.

"Yeah! Yuigahama-chan! Tell us!"

Ah, I don't want to see how this turns out. I start walking towards the door again, trying to close out their conversation from my head.

Hayama pipes up. "C'mon guys. Let's not pester Yuigahama anymore."

And so does Miura. "Yeah, if she doesn't want to tell us we should respect her decision."

Heh. If you read between the lines, 'Yeah, if she doesn't want to tell us we should respect her decision.' turns into 'She won't tell you so shut up, but she'll tell _me_ later.'

Still, good save Miura and Hayama. That should stop things from getting more awkward. Yuigahama totally owes you two. Well, looks like I'll be going to my spot now, there's no point in staying here.

I leave the classroom before I manage to eavesdrop on their conversation any longer.

* * *

Being alone really makes you think a lot. Especially when you have nothing to do. Sitting in my secret spot confirms this. The mind tends to wander even when you're doing something physical, like sports and work, but when you're just chilling and doing nothing the mind tends to wander even more. This being a positive or a negative thing depends on the contents of your thinking.

Frankly, it's a negative thing for me right now. After hearing Yuigahama talk with her friends about that _ring_ it has left me wondering. Possibility 1; she likes me. Posibility 2; that's not the ring Komachi gave, but someone elses, which means she has another guy giving her presents. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it could've been her dad, but why a ring? Possibility 3; Yuigahama may have mistook "he" for "she". All these possibilities, except for the first, is pretty far-fetched. She likes me, this has to be the only reason, I'd be glad to rid myself of this delusion but unless more likely possibilities present themselves, I must work with this one. Good thing is, possibility one can still go two ways. Either she likes me romantically or she likes me as a friend. Both are equally unnerving. Why'd she have to take that ring, this is troublesome for both me and her.

Suddenly, I feel small, soft hands cover my face and a girl squeaking.

"Oni-chan! Guess who?"

"Seriously, Komachi? The fact that you called me Oni-chan gave you away." I say in a bored voice, still only seeing blackness.

"Awww... Oni-chan you're no fun!" Komachi whines.

"You should have known that a long time ago, Komachi. You live with me." Damn, get your hands off of me! The blackness is pissing me off, I want to see my surroundings.

"Now, now. Let's try again." Komachi says in a commanding voice.

A waste of time but I'll have to play along since it's my sister. Why didn't I do this earlier?

"Fine." I yield.

"Oni-chan, guess who!?"

Don't you learn from your mistakes?

"Komachi, is that you?" I say in a mock happy tone.

"Gah! What have you done to my brother, you doppleganger!? The true Hachiman would say something off-putting to me!"

Hah?

The next thing I know, my vision has returned and Komachi is standing in front of me, doing her typical gesture; winking, tongue sticking out, and her hand in a "V sign".

She sits beside me and says "Oni-chan, why are you always eating outside your classroom? Don't you want to talk to your classmates?"

"Your brother doesn't like talking to lower life forms." I say in a mock prideful tone.

"Look who's talking." Komachi drawls.

"Heh." I say sheepishly.

"Looks like I'll have to eat with you here so that you won't get lonely. After all, I wouldn't want my wonderful oni-chan feeling sad and lonely because that would make _me_ feel sad and lonely. Ah! That scored me a ton of points!" Komachi says with a wink.

"Yes, Komachi. You are a kind sister, but as the older brother I must make the sacrifices. I can't allow you to stay with me all the time, you must be free and talk with your classmates so that you may form 'bonds' together. Your brother will sacrifice his comfort for your sake. Heh.I bet that scored _me_ a _ton_ of points." I say determinedly.

Komachi pouts and says "Nope! Only cute people get points!"

"Oh, no wonder you don't have any points either." I retort.

We sit in silence for a couple of seconds and then burst out laughing.

"Wahaha! Oni-chan you're so _rude_!" says Komachi as she hugs her stomach.

I don't know why Komachi and I burst out laughing like this every now and then, but I have to admit, it feels good. Laughing with my sister is pure bliss.

After a while, our laughter dies down.

"Seriously, oni-chan, why can't you eat with Yui-chan?" Komachi asks.

"She has other friends. Besides, I'm not one to eat with others." I say.

"I guess... but don't you think it's sad and boring to eat by yourself?" Komachi says in a concerned tone.

"Nope. A little R and R doesn't hurt anyone."

We continue talking a bit more and we hear someone call to us.

"Hikigaya-chan! Class about to start in a couple of minutes!"

Hah? Did someone call me cute? I stare at the direction of the voice and I see a small girl wearing glasses and holding a textbook. Oh, she's a first year. She was calling Komachi.

"Okay, Matsuoka-chan! I'll be there in a bit!" Komachi calls back.

Matsuoka gazes at me with dubious eyes and slowly walks away, keeping an eye on Komachi and me.

Oi, what's with that look? Do you think I'd really do something bad to my own sister? Then again, she doesn't know Komachi's my sister, I think. I mean, why would she react the way she did if she knew Komachi was my sister, right? Komachi, you better set things straight with glasses girl over there.

"I should go, oni-chan. Class is about to start and Matsuoka-chan is kinda suspecting you."

Tch. Rude first year. Respect your elders more! But then again, I'm one to talk. I didn't care about my seniors either.

"Right. See you, Komachi." I say.

"Okay! Bye Oni-chan! Oh, and don't worry, you're cute too!" Komachi says to me and then she runs to catch up with glasses girl, Matsuoka.

I watch as Komachi and Matsuoka walk and turn the corner.

* * *

Looks like I should get back to class as well.

 _"Hikigaya, those girls are looking at you funny."_

Oh? Another audio flashback?

I stand still and still, close my eyes, and focus on remembering. It seems that certain events in my life trigger something in my brain that helps me remember, I've deduced this much.

Now... What is it I'm digging out?

 _"They suspect me of doing something to you, Shiori."_

 _"Yeah. I know. I was just checking if you knew."_

 _"Of course I'd know. I know their opinions and views on people like me."_

 _"Well, what about people like me then?"_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"What do they think of our relationship, Hikigaya?"_

 _"They think I'm your slave or something. Running errands for you, being your toy."_

 _"Ah. And what would they think if I were to kiss you right now, in front of your school?"_

 _"They'd think you're paying me for my services, or that I somehow bribed you to pay me."_

 _"Do you think if I kiss you, something good would come out of it?"_

 _"Nope. Nothing good at all. That's why you should refrain from kissing me in public. It will do no good to both our reputations."_

 _"Hikigaya, your reputation is already shit with these people. I also don't care about what they think of me. So, would you like me to kiss you in front of them?"_

 _"Why?"_

 _"I don't know. It's just an experiment. Maybe they'll feel something if I do it."_

 _"Yeah, as if. I think I'll pass."_

 _"I don't think so, Hikigaya. Come here..."_

.

.

.

What? That's it? You're going to leave me at a cliffhanger? Am I fucking senile now?Argh... Did we kiss? No, even the Hachiman in junior high would already be too cynical to let someone other than family kiss him. Plus, we were also still on a surname basis, we still weren't that close at the time. This memory was long ago. C'mon brain!

I stand in silence, willing my brain to remember more. It seems that I'll need more triggers to remember... Well, that's that. I gotta head to class now.

* * *

Time goes by quickly if you enjoy what you are doing. That's a really rude thing the universe does. This means that time goes by slowly if you do not enjoy what you are doing. Thus, today's classes went by at snail's pace. I'm not the type of student who enjoys classes much, but I'm also not the type to get grumpy about them. Yet today, I am extremely bored and grumpy about said classes.

After an agonizing wait, classes finally ends. I still have to go to club... Well, at least there I'm free to do whatever I feel like doing. As long as there are no requests, but Isshiki has been bombarding us with requests ever since she entered second year. What gives, girl? We're third years, you know? We're hella busy!

I ignore the chatter of "youth" that came after school ended. I walk out of the room and begin walking towards the Service Club room.

"Hikki!" Yuigahama yells as she runs to catch up with me.

What do you want, Yuigahama? Are you going to complain that I left you? Mind you I didn't give you a chance to ask me to wait after class, so I am not in the wrong. Besides, you don't have to run, it's not like I'm trying to escape.

"Yuigahama."

"Hikki! Aren't you supposed to be heading to Hiratsuka-sensei?"

Oh crap. I forgot about that. Damn. Thanks Yuigahama! Sensei would have killed me if I had not come.

"Yeah. I'll be heading there now."

She doesn't need to know I forgot, not because I don't want my reputation to be tarnished even more, no. I just don't want to prolong our conversation, her knowing that I forgot would lengthen it quite a bit.

"Oh, okay. Do you want me to wait for you?" She asks.

"No, it's okay. You can head to club. If Yukinoshita asks, tell her where I am. Although I doubt she would ask anyways." I answer.

"Oh... Okay. Well... I'll be going then." she says in a slightly dejected tone.

You make it sound like you _wanted_ to wait for me. Were you just doing that out of consideration, or was it something entirely different? If you actually wanted to wait for me you could force it, you know I don't fight unwinnable battles. Were you hoping that I would accept your proposal? What is your motive, Yuigahama Yui?

Yuigahama waves me goodbye and walks away.

* * *

"Hikitani." says a voice behind me.

I turn around and I see myself face to face with Superman. Hayama Hayato. Rich. Good looking. Smart. "Kind". Athletic. "Cool". The epitome of a "hot guy". I don't see what's so good about this guy. Why do such simpletons fall for him.

"Hikitani. Can we talk somewhere private?" says Hayama.

Huh?

"Hiratsuka-sensei wanted to see me after class. I shouldn't keep her waiting." I reply.

"It'll be quick."

"Do I have to?"

"Please."

I suddenly remember Yukinoshita Haruno telling me that Hayama was a prideful person, he was someone who doesn't say please. He gets what he wants, maybe that's why I like rejecting him so much.

"Fine. Whatever. Make it quick." I yield.

Hayama leads me to a secluded hallway and he begins to talk.

"The ring Yuigahama's wearing. It came form you."

That wasn't a quesiton at all. That was declarative.

"It was Komachi's gift, and mine. Yeah. I gave it to her." I confirm.

"Why? Why would you give something like that?" Hayama asks.

"It was my sister's idea. She asked me to give it to her and say it was my gift."

"So you knew it was a ring and you _gave_ it to her?" He asks, this time his voice is slightly raised.

"I didn't. Komachi made me promise not to look inside." I say with a sharp tone.

"And you followed her?" Hayama asks, now he's got a slight frown on his face.

"My sister is dear to me. She asked me to promise, it's not everyday she does that. That's why I followed her. Besides, why do you care so much?"

"You already know why, Hikigaya."

It seems you only remember my name when we have serious talks. You're right though, Hayama Hayato. I know why you care so much. I'm not blind enough to not know.

Giving a gift like that to a girl like Yuigahama. It's like an indirect confession. Although I explained to Yuigahama the situation with Komachi, she may still misunderstand. Especially since I also put it on her finger. Such intimate actions cause misunderstandings. Though I was hoping Yuigahama would understand, it seems she is still a typical girl. Maybe she thinks there is a possibility with her and me.

This is why Hayama cares so much. Yuigahama is his friend. More accurately, his friends' friend. He can't allow anything to happen to her, if she were to break because of something like this, it would cause distress in his group of friends. Basically, he doesn't want me to lead Yuigahama on.

"I get what you're saying, Hayama. It won't happen again." I say.

"I'm not saying it shouldn't. I'm saying you have to be serious. It's fine if you and Yuigahama get together as long as you're serious for her." Hayama says.

"You must be joking. I don't care for such things. Besides, it would be bad for Yuigahama's reputation if we were to end up together."

"She wouldn't care. I know she wouldn't. As long as she has someone that will always be by her side, she wouldn't care."

"You and I both know that's bullshit. She would have to endure the snide remarks, and the gossip. Those can break people. Just because you have one person that will stay with you now, doesn't mean they'll be there tomorrow. It's stupid to believe in that. She's better of as she is."

Hayama stares at me with serious eyes.

"Then... If that's the case... Don't lead her on." He says with a grim and sober expression.

"Yeah. I got it. If that's all then I'll be taking my leave." I say dismissively.

Without another word I turn around and walk away from Hayama.

Tch. What a waste of time. You didn't tell me anything new, you riajuu.

* * *

 **Hahaha! Amazing Spider-Man reference with Hiratsuka, right? Anyone? Anyone? No? Okay.**

 **Sorry to the people I led on about Shiori transferring to Soubu, I know quite a few of you wanted to see the reactions of 8man's classmates but you guys will have to wait a bit more! My bad, but I wanted to focus this chapter on 8man's relationship with his classmates. And I'm also having some issues with character development with Shiori; I have multiple paths I could take. All are quite entertaining in my opinion.**

 **8man and peeps are 3rd years in my fanfic, I didn't specify earlier. I'm not sure how education works in Japan so I'll try not to get into any technicals, just a simple background will do, right? Oh, and Komachi's also in Soubu!**

 **Oh, and am I bringing in too many OCs? At first it was only supposed to be Shiori but I decided she needed a sibling. Thus, Shiori Mamoru was born, er, written. I don't know, I really like Mamoru's character (I got his name from Inazuma Eleven, if anyone's interested). Maybe he can hit it off with another fellow sibling? wink wink.**

 **Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read this chapter, if you have any further time, do review!**

 **This is Veltus, signing off.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Snow beneath the snow

"Hikigaya! I thought I told you to meet me after class!?" Hiratsuka yelled.

"I did?" I say, as I stand outside her open office door.

Sensei, your wording is bad. This is technically after class. You told me to see you after school but before club, this time right now is between those two things. Therefore I have not done anything wrong, in the technical sense that is.

"When a teacher tells you to see them after school you get here as soon as possible! Get in here and close the door." She continues with a commanding tone.

"Yeah, sorry. Something held me up." I say as I enter the room and close the door behind me. Damn, that Hayama. Well, it _is_ my fault for going along with his whims.

"Why did you want to see me, sensei?" I ask. It should be about my tardiness but I doubt that's the only reason.

Hiratsuka-sensei points towards a chair in front of her desk, motioning me to sit.

Her room is pretty nice. It's clean and white. I'm glad the school prohibits faculty and students from smoking within school grounds because if they didn't boy would this office smell like smoke. Lining the walls beside her desk are bookshelves filled with textbooks and the occasional Shounen manga. A bike rach and a plastic potted plant can be seen at a corner by the door. Her desk is filled with towers of toppling documents.

Since sensei wouldn't be able to see me behind her desk because of all the papers on it, she instead leans on her desk. She clears her throat and say "First, off. Your tardiness."

"Right." I say. Why do you need to talk to me about that in the first place? It's not like I'm always late. If I recall correctly, which I know I am, this _has_ to be the first time I've been late this school year. Cut me some slack, woman.

"Well, just try not to be late in the future." she says lamely.

Hah? All of this just for that? You know you could have just told me that in the classroom?

"Ah... Okay, sensei. I'll try." I say even though I doubt I can keep promises like that. This wasn't the first nor will it be the last time I'll be late, sensei.

Sensei doesn't reply to my response and we sit in silence for a while. It seems she's thinking of something deeply while staring at me with a frown and a questioning look.

"Uh, if that's all... I'll be going now, sensei." I say slowly as I begin to stand up.

Sensei snaps from her contemplation and says "One more thing, Hikigaya."

There we go, this must be the true reason why I was ordered to drop by her office. What could this possibly be?

"Yeah?" I ask slightly nervously.

"I have, uh... A request." She says apprehensively.

Urgh... Coming from sensei this has to involve work... Can't you force other unwilling students to do that for you? You know just how much I hate doing work...

Sensei searches the stacks of documents on her desk and pulls out a document from the pile.

"Here." She says as she hands me a folder containing documents.

I slowly take the folder from her. Please don't be menial work. Please don't be hard work. Please don't be long lasting work. I open the folder attentively and stare at its contents. I immediately realize that it's the documents of a transfer student.

"Shiori Rai. She's transferring here tomorrow." Sensei continues.

I stare at the documents in my hands. This is... This is information about Shiori Rai? Holy... It even has past achievements and interests! This feels like the type of thing a stalker would have. Confidential information like this shouldn't be given so casually, sensei!

"She's transferring tomorrow?" I ask uncertainly.

Sensei organizes the papers on her desk and says "She was supposed to transfer today but she had urgent business to attend to. At least that's what the father said."

Urgent business?

 _"What does your dad do?"_

 _"He runs a security agency."_

 _"Huh? Like with bodyguards and agents and stuff?"_

 _"Yes, Hikigaya. With bodyguards and agents and stuff."_

 _"He wouldn't send his agents on me, right?"_

 _"Haha! Trust me, you're safe with me!"_

"Oi, Hikigaya! Are you listening to me?"

Damn. These sudden flashbacks keep distracting me. Umm... where? ... Right. Sensei's room.

"Uh sorry. Why are you showing me these documents?" I ask sheepishly.

"I just told you that." Sensei says with a frown.

It seems that I failed to hear her reason and purpose because of the sudden trip down audio memory lane.

"Sorry. Could you repeat?" I ask apologetically.

Sensei lets out a small sigh of exasperation and says "I need you to give her a tour of the school tomorrow."

Hah? Why me? Of all the people in this school why me? Shouldn't the Soubu faculty be doing this? If not, shouldn't more _social_ and _likable_ students be doing this? No person in their right mind would appoint _me_ tour guide, I'm a loner and a lousy people's person. No way anyone would particularly enjoy a tour made by me. Sure it would be quite informative but I bet it would be awkward as hell.

"Why me? I ask seriously.

"Take a look at her picture." Sensei says.

As if that's going to solve anything. I stare at the picture on the document. Shiori Rai. Red hair, and Green eyes. Beautiful or cute, take your pick. She seems nice and smart in this picture... Ah. I get why sensei asked me to take this request.

"Knowing you, Hikigaya, you should have a good idea why I asked you." Sensei says.

"Right... If you picked any of the normal students for this job it wouldn't end well." I say.

"Exactly. All the guys would fawn over her. The girl's would be either jealous or envious. She wouldn't gain anything good in that tour. Honestly, it's terrible to be born beautiful." Sensei says in a bitter tone.

This sounds a lot like a certain person I know. Still, why not use a faculty member?

"Couldn't _you_ do this tour?" I ask, giving her a slight frown.

"It's Soubu tradition for a fellow student to give the tour. Oh and if you're wondering how to do the tour, there's another document with Shiori's documents. It contains criteria for the tour, use that as a guideline."

"Why do we give special treatment to transfer students anyway?" I ask, slightly pissed off.

"They're new to the school, among other reasons. Doesn't matter. What matters is that I need _you_ to give that tour."

"If I find a more suitable candidate for tour guide, can I delegate the task to that person?" After all, I don't want to waste my time giving this girl a tour. Since we have a past together, it'll be very awkward. Ah, who am I kidding, she did say that our relationship would be reset. She seems like the person to keep her word. Plus I don't even remember that much about her.

"You know the answer to that." Sensei says with a slight glare.

C'mon! How about Yuigahama or Yukinoshita? Yukinoshita and Shiori are in the same level of beauty, and I doubt Yukinoshita would even bother getting jealous or envious. Yuigahama's already used to other girls being more desirable than her, so she could be a fine pick too! I doubt all the guys would actually _fawn_ over this girl. If we just searched a bit we could find another worthy candidate for tour guide!

Hiratsuka-sensei sighs and says "Hikigaya, I'm lazy. I don't want to bother with finding another tour guide. You're my pick, you're the best choice in my opinion. You'll be able to do the job well without losing sight of the objective."

"B-but there are also others! You can't be lazy! You're a teacher!" I whine.

"No buts! You are doing this tour. That's an order from your teacher and your supervisor! You know what will happen if you retaliate any more, don't you?" Sensei says as she balls her fist.

Damn you! People with authority shouldn't use physical means to get what they want, you know!?

I let out a sigh and say "Right, right. There's no way out of this situation and I should just comply."

"Good thing we understand each other." Hiratsuka-sensei says with a grin.

Aurgh. I feel like a corporate slave being forced work by my boss... Then again, aren't corporate slaves meant to be forced work by their bosses? This is truly a simulation of adult life...

"Alright. I'll do the tour. If that's all, I'll be taking my leave." I say.

"Thanks, Hikigaya. Oh, you can keep the document. Besides, I think this girl can be good for you." Sensei says with a mischievous smile.

Setting aside the fact that she handed me confidential documents about the personal life of a student and is allowing me to keep it, what the hell did she mean by "good" for me?

"Hah? What's that supposed to mean, Hiratsuka-san?" I drop the teacher honorific in hopes of getting a more serious answer from her. That could work both ways, I wonder which way it will go?

"She seems different somehow..." She says mysteriously.

Hiratsuka-sensei walks over towards me and gives me a light karate chop to the head.

"You can go now, Hikigaya. Your clubmates must be waiting for you. Oh, and please refer to me as sensei."

"Hehe..." I say sheepishly as I walk towards the door. I open the door step outside and say "See you, sensei."

Sensei nods at me and resumes work on her desk.

* * *

I'm at least half an hour late for club. Eh, that's fine, I doubt we would have any requests. Then again, that's just my wishful thinking... I walk along the deserted corridors thinking about what to do with this _tour_. So I'm supposed to give her a tour tomorrow? How am I supposed to go about doing that? Oh, right, there's a document about the tour somewhere in these papers.

Ah, there we go. Huh? 'How to give a Soubu high Tour for Dummies'? What the hell kind of title is _that?_ Nevermind, I'll read it later when I get home. This should have everything I need to know about giving a tour. I'll just follow the guidelines.

After a couple of minutes I reach the Service Club room. I stand outside the closed doors and hesitate entering. This is the time when Yuigahama would hit me from behind and ask me why I'm not entering. Although that doesn't happen usually, I keep thinking about it.

She should be in there. So should Yukinoshita. I bet they're talking and having fun together. Once I enter that room the entire atmosphere would change. It seems that I'm some sort of catalyst in our club. Should I enter? Hmm... I could just chill somewhere else for a while longer and give them some private time together. I could just say Sensei held me back or something. Maybe they wouldn't believe my excuse but it's not like they would push me to tell them the truth anyways.

I listen closely to any sounds that come from within the room. It's silent in there. Are they out doing a request? If they are then that's great! I'll be able to relax in an empty room while reading my novel. Yes! Just to make sure that no one is there I'll listen in for another couple of minutes. Hang on, isn't this eavesdropping? I'm eavesdropping. That's not a good activity to be doing. Well, whatever. I doubt anyone will see me here anyways.

A couple of minutes pass by and I conclude that the room is very empty. Not one exchange of words in two minutes. You may think that's quite a short time interval but with Yuigahama there is no such thing. She should have made a couple of silly remarks by now. Thus, I can conclude that the room is quite empty.

I open the door and enter the club room. An empty room greeted me. It was silent and only the soft wind can be heard whistling out the window. I pace the room, my footsteps echoing in the silent chamber that is the club room. This is a sanctuary for people like me. A calming atmosphere and away from the prying eyes of society. It is rare that I find a place like this at school. I should cherish this silence and sanctuary as long as it lasts.

I close the door and pace the room once more. In my opinion, people think more when they are alone. At least that's what I believe and it seems to work on me. I gaze around the storage room we call club room. If it weren't for the stacks of tables and tables that fill the back of the room this place could be pretty large. Not that I'm complaining about the space, this is more than enough space for me.

I walk towards the seats of Yukinoshita and Yuigahama, whose whereabouts are still unknown to me. Nostalgia rushes through me as I stare at their empty seats. We are already in our third year, it won't be long until we say goodbye to this room we spent so much time bonding in. When we come back here after third year, it won't be as students but as alumni. That is _if_ we even decide on coming back. I'm not one to attach myself to such materialistic things but still... In a way, this club room has grown on me, even if it's just a little bit. When the time comes to leave, will I actually _miss_ this pace?

How long has it been since I first entered this room? Since I met Yukinoshita Yukino, whom I would banter with consistently over the years. Since I met Yuigahama Yui who would insist on spending time with me? The teasing, the jokes, the fun, the problems, and the time spent together... Is this what it means to have friends? Being the loner that I was, I cannot properly answer such a question. But if I were to give my own answer-

The sliding door opens behind me. I immediately snap from thought and I whirl around to see who the intruder was.

I see Yukinoshita standing by the doorway staring at me. She had a mildy surprised and curious look on her, as if she saw something that wasn't supposed to be there.

We gaze at each other for quite some time, just staring into each others' eyes. Is this deemed to be a romantic thing to be doing with a person of the opposite sex? It would be if both of the people performing said deed were "normal". Heh, but Yukinoshita and I are _not_ "normal".

"Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita finally says.

"Yo." I reply shortly.

"Why are you here?" She asks as she cocks her head to the side.

"I'm part of this club aren't I?"

Yukinoshita enters the room and closes the door behind her.

"Yuigahama-san said you had business with Hiratsuka-sensei."

"It's done. That's why I'm here, obviously." I say as I walk towards my seat.

"Ah. Indeed." she says as she walks towards her seat.

We both sit down on our respective chairs and sit in silence.

When was the last time Yukinoshita and I were alone together? Was it that time in the infirmary after the sports run? That feels like it was ages ago.

Yukinoshita gives a small cough and says "Yuigahama-san had business at home so she requested to leave early."

So that's why she's not here? What a _coincidence_... I didn't expect _that_ at all...

"Why were you not in the club room a while ago? I thought you guys were doing a request." I ask.

"I went to the restroom." she replies with a slight blush.

"Oh ok." I ask sheepishly. Maybe I shouldn't have asked...

I look around the club room once more and I notice not only one person is missing.

"Hey, where's Isshiki?" I ask. Sure she isn't a club member but she's such a regular in the room that anyone would mistake her for one. I wonder where she is right now, not that I care, it's just strange that miss president isn't here to badger us with work.

"Isshiki-san I believe, is at the Soccer club. She's the manager and it seems they have an upcoming match." She says.

Huh? No Isshiki. No Isshiki? No ISSHIKI! Hahaha! Less work for me! I, Hikigaya Hachiman have succeeded! Although I didn't particulary do anything to prevent her from coming to our club room what matters is the end result! How long will this last? As long as it can, please! Soccer club make sure to enter as many matches as you can that way Isshiki will _never_ have to set foot in the club room anymore!

"You seem awfully happy with her absence, Hikigaya-kun."

"Oh? Ahaha. Not really." Lol nope! No kouhai is best! Bye bye, foxy lady!

"Really?" Yukinoshita says with raised eyebrows.

"Ehehe."

Our idle chatter slowly dies down and we sit in silence once more. After awhile I begin to rummage in my bag for my novel. I doubt anyone will be coming in with a request so I think I can relax with my novel for the rest of the afternoon.

Yukinoshita pipes up and says "Hikigaya-kun. I think we should make plans about the upcoming party we'll be attending."

"Right." I say as I continue to rummage through my bag for my novel.

"Can you sit here?" Yukinoshita asks.

I look away from my bag and stare at the spot she was pointing at. It was the space in front of Yuigahama's spot. Woah, Yukinoshita. Isn't that a little too close to you? Don't you fear for your chastity anymore?

"Uh... You sure?" I ask in disbelief.

"Although I _do_ fear for my chastity I believe you wouldn't do anything, Hikkipervert-kun."

Was that both a compliment and an insult?

"Fine." I say dismissively. I carry my chair towards the space she pointed to and sit there.

Yukinoshita stands up and says "Would you like some tea, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Sure." I reply as I begin to rummage in my bag once more.

Yukinoshita walks away and begins to make tea and I am left to my thoughts and my rummaging.

Having a beautiful girl ask me to sit close to her, past Hachiman would be squealing in delight. He'd be thinking "I have a chance! I have a chance! I won't die alone!". Hah, pathetic optimistic kid. You are no more, you are dead. Past Hachiman is gone, I am the one that's in control! My cynical, pessimistic ways flow through my veins! I will not allow small gestures like these to play with my emotions. Not that these gestures are any way romantic or showing affection, but still, why'd she ask me to sit here anyways? Arguments like better communication, hah, as if, we communicate easily even at a distance. What's Yukinoshita's ulterior motive?

After a couple of minutes Yukinoshita returns to the table with two steaming cups of tea. She places my Pan-san cup in front of me as she places her own cup in front of her. The tea is still hot, I have to blow on it... As I blow on my tea I notice Yukinoshita glancing at me every now and then. She's fidgeting in her seat and she looks as if she wants to say something.

Once I am sure that my tea's heat intensity level has decreases a reasonable amount I begin to make short sips... Damn. Yukinoshita makes tea like a beast. Her tea-making level must be over nine thousand!

"How do you like your tea, Hikigaya-kun?" she asks attentively.

"It's respectable." I reply. That's the best compliment I'm going to give you, woman.

"I see." she says flatly.

We sit in silence for a while as we drink our tea.

"H-hikigaya-kun. May I have your phone number?" Yukinoshita says suddenly.

I choke on my tea and splutter it. I set my tea down and cough a couple of times. Oh, god, is there tea in my lungs? Crap. That really took me by surprise. Why would you ask for my phone number all of a sudden? You make sure to decline my friendship request multiple times but you want to ask for my number? I cough a couple more times before my body finally calms down. I take deep breaths and look at Yukinoshita. She's staring at me with a concerned look.

"C-come again?" I ask as I wheeze a bit.

After realizing that I'm more or less alright, Yukinoshita regains her cool, calm poise and says "It seems that request surprised you, Hikigaya-kun."

Gee, I coughed up tea and started wheezing. Can't you take a hint?

Yukinoshita sighs and says "I'll ask once more. May I have your phone number?"

We've known each other for years and you've never asked me for my number. Why ask now?

"Uh, why?" I ask.

"Because I believe we are more than acquaintances, so I conclude that we should exchange numbers."

What does she mean by 'more than acquaintances? Does she mean? No. Does she?

"More than acquaintances? Does that mean we're friends now?" I ask slowly.

Yukinoshita's eyes widen and she blushes furiously.

Her cool and calm poise returns quicky and she says"Forgive me, Hikigaya-kun for leading you on, although I am asking for your number this shouldn't bring unnecessary ideas to your twisted mind."

Ouch. Haha, just kidding, that didn't hurt at all. I mean, I kinda knew she didn't mean it like that, but for some reason I hoped she did. Although we were just people who needed a faster way to communicate to one another when needed. That's why she's asking for my number. Still, it's not like we have anything to talk about. I guess the party is one thing but after that there's practically nothing to talk about since we don't particularly like talking to one another anyways. Bantering is different, by the way. Still, I'll refrain from bantering over e-mail as much as I can.

Yukinoshita puts out her hand towards me.

"Huh?" I ask in wonder.

"Your phone, Hikigaya-kun." she says as she averts her eyes from me.

This is so weird. Well, I _am_ fine with getting Yukinoshita's number. There's nothing wrong with having it, even though I won't be mailing her often, or maybe not at all, for that matter.

"Okay." I say as I take my phone from my pocket and hand it to her.

She fiddles with her phone and mine and after a while she hands me my phone back. A couple of seconds pass and my phone vibrates in my hand. I open it and I see that I received a mail from an unknown number. Oh, _who_ could it _possibly_ be? Hahaha.

I read the mail and it says [Hello, this Yukinoshita Yukino.] Pfft. Seriously, so lame... Well, it's not like Yukinoshita can do any better. This is one of the most neutral greetings she can give, after all.

"It seems you got my message, Hikigaya-kun. You can use that to save my number." she says with a mock wise tone.

I may not have a lot of friends and people to talk to but I _know_ how to operate my own phone...

"Why? It's not like I'll ever mail you." I say with a sneer.

"Oh? I bet you are grateful that a person of my calibur actually gave you their number. You probably won't stop messaging me now that you have my contact info." she mocks me.

"Please. I don't actually want to talk to you." I retort.

"Just save it, Hikigaya-kun. Just in case." Yukinoshita says with a sudden solemn tone.

That sudden tone caught me off guard. Does Yukinoshita actually want me to message her? Surely not. After all, I'm just an unruly beast to her, why would she ever want to talk with me?

"Okay. I'll save it." I say dismissively.

Yukinoshita brightens up at that and she smiles a bit.

"Good." She says with a glad, cheerful expression.

"Okay." I reply. This girl... are you tsundere or something? We exchange numbers and then you start complaining...

I stare at the screen of my phone, reading Yukinoshita's first mail to me ever. I never thought that she would _actually_ give me her number. The only reason she would give me her number is either for business reasons or social reasons. The latter is out of the picture. Seriously, Yukinoshita wanting to socialize with _me?_ Hell would freeze over before _that_ would actually happen. Or maybe not, eh? Maybe she's softened up towards me. Heh, meybe.

"You may have my number Hikigaya-kun but please refrain from spamming me too much." she jokes as she sips her tea.

"R-right."

"Now that _that's_ done, I will inform you about the party we'll be attending."

And so for about an hour Yukinoshita and I do nothing but talk about the party. It would have been like middle school girls asking each other what they were going to wear for a birthday party if it weren't for the note taking I did.

"Remember to always stand straight. Refrain from using slang and always address everyone else with the proper honorifics. I know you prefer not to use honorifics, Hikigaya-kun, but we can't have that." Yukinoshita says.

Why am I writing this down in the first place? Damn you, Yukinoshita! Why'd you have to force me to take notes? This is ridiculous.

"Argh. This is too much work. Can't you just ask Hayama?" I ask. At least _he_ would for sure be able to do a better job. He's a good actor and faker anyways.

"He's already going with nee-san. Please, Hikigaya-kun. You're the only guy I'm comfortable going to this party with." she says in a slightly pleading tone.

Since when was I the only guy you were comfortable going to parties with? Where's the context in that? It's a real shame this party had to have opposite gender dates and Yukinoshita has no guy friends or any guy she's close to, for that matter. Well, excluding me now. She's comfortable with me?

"Can't you just go alone? Why does it have to be opposite gender dates anyways?" I ask.

"I can't. Mother told me to bring a date, and the party specifically needed opposite gender dats. I believe it's because we will be dancing. I can't skip this party as well." she says in a defeated tone.

I think of other ways to get out going to this party. I'm not sure why I suddenly didn't want to go, maybe I just got lazy.

"Can't you ask your mother to hook you up with some guys your age? You know, sons of business friends?" I whine a bit.

"I-I don't want to ask her to do that." she says in a slightly raised voice.

"C'mon. They can do a better job than I can. Why are you against that?" I ask.

"Because I don't want to go with anyone else. I want to go with you." Yukinoshita mumbles as she stares at her tea cup.

Why would you want to go to a party with me? Weren't you the one who didn't want to be seen walking with me back to the hotel when we were at that Kyoto trip? What's with the sudden change of heart? Aren't I still an unruly beast to you?

Yukinoshita raises her head, stares at me and says "Please, Hikigaya-kun... Just this once."

Sigh. Well, we don't really have a choice now, do we? Whatever, fine. At least there's bound to be good food...

"Fine. I'll go with you."

"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun." she says with a slight blush to her cheeks.

"Yeah, okay. Let's ge this over with. What else do I need to know?" I say as I ready my pen to take notes.

"Y-yes. Well... You must also..."

It takes a while but Yukinoshita manages to tell me all the rules and regulations etc. about this party. Man, parties like these must be drags for kids... Even if I myself become a business man that had to appear at parties like this, I doubt I'd have any fun either. The food must be the sedative for these social gatherings.

"Just remember those things and you'll be fine, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita says with a resined smile.

"Right." I say exasperatedly.

"Don't forget the suit, okay? It doesn't have to be anything luxurious but you have to wear one."

"Uhh..." Suits. Suits are cool, but I don't want to waste time shopping... I hope my dad has something I can borrow.

"If you want, we can go to the mall sometime this week and I can help pick you one." Yukinoshita suggests.

"Nope. I'll do fine." I say shortly.

"I'm not confident with your fashion tastes, Hikigaya-kun. We should go so that I can help you. I'll even pay for it." Yukinoshita bribes.

I am no gentleman. That's why I will accept this offer. To hell with you dudes wasting your precious time and finances on women, I'd rather be the leech receiving the gifts.

"Fine. But you're paying for it." I confirm with her.

Yukinoshita giggles a bit and says "Yes, Hikigaya-kun, I'll pay for it."

"Good." I say as I smile. I wonder what suit I can get? Can I have one like James Bond? That'd be awesome! Hachiman. Hachiman Hikigaya. MAXX COFFEE, shake it don't stir it.

"I'm not sure what day I'll be free but I'll inform you when I find out." Yukinoshita says.

"Right."

* * *

After we finish planning and talking about the party we return to our usual activities; which is reading books. It feels strange, reading in a spot that isn't my usual spot. What's more is that I'm dangerously close to Yukinoshita and I can sometimes get a trace of her scent. Nope, don't imagine what she smells like, Hachiman! Nope! Ignore it, put it in the back of your head. Actually, get it _out_ of your head.

I pack my bag and stand up from my seat, preparing to return to my original spot.

Yukinoshita stops reading her book and says "What are you doing, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Oh, well... Since our talk was done I thought I should go back to my original place." I reply as I start to carry my chair.

"Ah... Is that so..." Yukinoshita mumbles, looking slightly dejected.

I stand in silence, waiting for her to continue her train of thought. It's not like you actually _want_ me to sit close to you, right? Or do you?

"V-very well then. You may return to you original spot, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita says with a slight glum look to her.

Huh. It sounds like you don't actually want me to go.

.

.

.

Damn. I might regret this decision. What the hell, let's just do this.

I set my chair back to it's position before I lifted it. Yukinoshita was surprised that I decided not to return to my original spot at the other end of the table, frankly I'm surprised myself. I sit down on the chair and pull out my novel once more. I feel myself blushing furiously. Damn, this has to be one of the rare moments I actually _decided_ to stay close to a girl. I usually refrain from doing such things. Is Yukinoshita blushing too? Crap, she is! It's not what you think! Right? Or is it? Why _am_ I sitting here? Why did I decide to sit close to her when I could've moved? Youth hormones make guys like me a mess. Whatever, what's done is done. It's not like I can suddenly up and move now. Just try not to get weird things into your head, Hachiman. Oh, she smells nice... WHAT THE HELL!? Snap out of it!

I manage to distract myself with my novel for the remainder of club. Frankly, I managed ti become so engrossed with the story that Yukinoshita had to flick me on the head to get my attention. Afterwards, we locked the club room and walked towards the school entrance together.

It was a silent walk towards the exit, Yukinoshita and I never exchanged words for the duration of the walk. Finally, we reach the exit of the building and we see the school entrance.

"Yeah, so my bike's that way." I say as I nod towards the bike racks which were mostly deserted now.

"Goodbye, Hikigaya-kun. I'll see you tomorrow." Yukinoshita says as she smiles at me.

Why is it that I'm seeing her smile at me like that more frequently nowadays? Stop it, you're making it look like we're actually friends. I mean, we _could_ have if you just didn't reject me. Whatever, I'll treat that smile as a normal everyday smile. Even if there's _some_ ulterior meaning to that smile, I won't bother with it. Thinking about that wouldn't benefit me anyways.

Yukinoshita and I part ways as she heads to the gates and I head to the bike racks. I unlock my bike lock and prepare to exit the school with my bike. Wait. I should wait a bit more so that I don't encounter Yukinoshita on the street. Then again, I _could_ just _ignore_ her. Yeah, riding a bike really helps with the excuse of "I didn't see you, I was riding too fast." or "I was too busy keeping an eye on the road to notice you on the street." Hehe. Bikes are awesome. Suddenly I remember that Yukinoshita goes in the opposite direction of me. Oh, that's good. Looks like I actually don't have to fake not seeing her.

I look up and I notice a mixture of red, orange, and yellow hues fill the sky. The cool wind brushes my hair and my clothes.

Komachi's already home I bet. She should really join a club so she and I can walk home together.

I mount my bike and start biking home. As I pedal home I notice the mixture of red, orange, and yellow hues fill the sky. It's getting late, I think to myself. The setting sun basks me with its warmth and I look as it envelops Chiba with its red-orange streaks of light.

* * *

 **And so another chapter comes and goes without Shiori. I'm not really stalling her Soubu debut but I'm still glad I can get a couple more chapters in before others get to see Shiori. I just wanted to explore 8man's relationships a bit more. I'm nearing the end of the easy chapters(aka Pre-Shiori chaps) so that's making me both happy and sad...**

 **Curse you Americans for your pathetic naming methods! Since Football was referred to as Soccer in the novels(I think), anime, and the wiki, I have no choice but to follow suit! As a European Football player it pains me to call Football** _ **soccer**_ **... I know people complain a lot about how we whine with the naming but come on, we were there first! No hate to Americans but why do they have to call a sport that barely even kicks the ball, Football?**

 **Although I'm not giving out spoilers I do hope you guys like my build up of Shiori's character when the time comes.**

 **I'm a very big HachimanxYukino fan, ehehe. So you guys should be prepared for more interactions with 8man and Yukino.**

 **Also, I do apologize for the ending. This was just me trying to be poetic and failing to do good imagery. Eh, practice and practice and I'm bound to get better, right? Or not... Oh, and I also apologize for the chapter title, I'm not too good at making titles but I do enjoy adding them.**

 **Thank you for taking the time to read my fanfiction. If you have time I would also appreciate a review. : -]**

 **This is Veltus, signing off.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Their relationship was sketchy

"Oi, Komachi! I'm home." I yell as I enter the threshold of my house.

The sun has dipped quite low now but slivers of afternoon sunlight are still visibly poking in from the windows. It gave our living room a mellow, lazy vibe. The orange glow bounced all over the room. Komachi where are you? I can't believe you aren't welcoming your lovely brother home.

It took me a while to notice but the living room and kitchen lights weren't on yet. Komachi has a habit of flicking on all the light switches of all the rooms when she gets back home, because she says it's scary to be in a dark house. This means that if Komachi was home, the house should be basking in the light of Incandescent light bulbs. Yet, here I am standing in a room merely illuminated by the sun.

I need to look for Komachi. I took out my phone and checked for any notifications from her.

[No New Messages]

I stare at the screen as I begin to think. She must be at home. If she wasn't she would have told me otherwise. Crap, what if she got into trouble or got into some sort of accident? Suddenly the memory of me jumping in front of a car to save a dog flashes through my mind. No. Komachi isn't brave enough to do that. She would never jump in front of a vehicle to save a mutt, or a feline, or any living thing for that matter. She shouldn't have to. Could she have? I need to stop thinking about this and start searching for her. Maybe she was tired from school and just decided to snooze in her room. Yeah, that's probably it. I'll check her room right now.

Returning my phone to my pants pocket, I head towards the stairs and start ascending. As I ascend the stairs, the wooden steps creak, making a haunting, echoing sound. Wait, why did I describe it as haunting? This is just the paranoid, delusional Hachiman thinking. Relax, don't be pessimistic, nothing bad happened to your sister. God, you really shouldn't pick on cute little girls like Komachi, if you want to cause someone harm and problems, I would gladly take her place, though I'm not sure if I actually believe in you enough to think that you actually exist and could do harm. Whatever, I'll believe you exist. After all, Pascal's Wager makes a lot of sense to me.

As I reach the landing of the second floor, I encounter a familiar redhead standing in the hallway. Shiori. What the hell is she doing here? Did she force her way into my house!?

"Hikigaya." She says softly as she steps towards me.

I thought you said our relationship has reset? What are you doing in my house, you frickin' stalker!? Or did you come here to kill me now? Is that it, you wanted me to think I was safe from harm and that we were all good? That is one big horror movie cliché right there! Tch.

"What are you doing here?"

"Komachi has a fever."

What?

"Hikigaya, follow me." She says as she walks away towards Komachi's room.

What. This feels like a nurse bringing me to a dying patient's room. Just feels like it, not that it is. It'd be stupid if it were.

I slowly follow Shiori as she opens the door of Komachi's room and enters. I head inside as well and I find myself in Komachi's room. My gaze automatically lands on the human figure laying on the bed with blankets covering it. That's Komachi for sure. Although I'm a bit far from her I can tell she's sleeping. She has a small towel on her head, which I assume is wet. It's probably for the fever, then. Damn it, Komachi. This is what you get when you do sleepovers. You stay up late and your body's immune system gets compromised!

Shiori walks towards her bed and sits down beside Komachi's sleeping figure. "I guess I should explain how we met." She says as she adjusts Komachi's blankets.

"Yeah I think you probably should." I say as I also approach Komachi and sit on her bed.

Why am I letting this girl sit so near Komachi? I should probably tell her to stay further away. After all, she's a stranger to Komachi, and frankly, to me as well. Then again, it looks like she brought Komachi here safely, so I guess I'll give her a pass for now.

"I saw her by the school entrance struggling to walk home." Shiori says as she begins to check Komachi's temperature using a thermometer.

You saw her at school. How? You weren't transferring in until tomorrow. What was your business at the school today? Are you stalking my family? If you are, I advise you to stop, although it may have done some good this time, it's still really creepy. Woah, Hachiman. Calm down. Don't jump into conclusions. Let the girl speak.

The beep of the thermometer goes off and she casually examines the reading.

"I was at school to pick up my uniform, if that's what you're wondering. It was purely coincidental that your sister and I met."

Do you have ESP? I haven't even opened my mouth yet.

Shiori stands up, places the thermometer on the table and looks out the window. "Though it was a coincidence we met, it was not a coincidence that I drove her home."

You drove her home!? Komachi, what were you thinking, letting strangers take you places? You should have went to the school faculty!

"She refused at first. So she and I went to the faculty room to verify my identity and to ask permission to take her home." She says as she continues to look outside, which was growing darker and darker by the minute.

The faculty let you take my sister home? Though that was pretty good shouldn't Komachi just have stayed at the school clinic and waited for me to finish club?

Shiori turns around, leans on Komachi's table, crosses her arms and continues explaining. "Then a teacher called Hiratsuka told me that her brother, you, would be in club until later in the afternoon. The rest of the faculty suggested that Komachi should stay at the clinic and wait for you to finish or to excuse you from club to take her home."

Yet they didn't do either of those things?

"At the time Hikigaya-san was burning up, and she was whining about wanting to go home. Hiratsuka-sensei said it would be hard to transport her to her house if you were with her because you had a bike. So she asked if I could take her home."

Tch. I hate to say this, but she's right. Bringing Komachi home at the state she was in would have been troublesome if not hard. But why you? Sensei has a car, a sports car. Why couldn't she, or anyone from the faculty take her home?

"Apparently, her car was under maintenance at the automobile shop so she couldn't bring you sister home, even though she wanted to. So requested me to escort her home. Once she declared that she'd be coming as well to bring Hikigaya-san home, the other faculty members complied with the request."

This is getting really unsettling. Well, it's been unsettling for a while now. I'm here, merely thinking of these questions but there she is answering them. I'm not even opening my mouth to speak! Then again, she seems smart, maybe she anticipated what I would ask beforehand.

"So, yeah. My driver was there, and I was willing. We brought your sister to your house, and Hiratsuka-sensei and I took care of her. That's basically what happened." She finishes.

Those were some pretty logical answers. Not to mention it saved me and Komachi a lot of trouble. The situation was justified, plus an adult from the school also took care of my sister. This is actually turned out pretty well. Hang on…

"Where's Hiratsuka-sensei?"

"My driver brought her back to the school. She had some paperwork she had to complete. At least that's what she said."

"At least that's what she said? What's that supposed to mean?" I ask as I squint at her.

Shiori gets up and sits down beside me on Komachi's bed. You're pretty assertive, sitting only a foot away from me. Then again, my encounter with you yesterday was the same.

"She also told me to stay behind so that I could tell you the story when you get back. She seemed to also have other reasons for leaving. It show in her face. Slightly." She reasons casually.

 _I think this girl can be good for you._

I remember Hiratsuka-sensei saying that to me a couple hours ago. Is that why you left early, sensei? So I could have some private time with this girl? I don't need you help with a love life, if that's what you're thinking. Besides, if you have enough time to do this for me, why don't you use that time to do something for yourself instead? Seriously, sensei. For some reason I keep having the image of sensei sitting on her rotating chair, smoking a cigarette, then winking at me and giving me a sly smile. Sensei, you really shouldn't be playing cupid for others when you can't even get yourself a partner.

"Your sister, Komachi's her name right?" Shiori asks as she looks behind her at Komachi's sleeping figure.

"Yeah." I nod as I glance at Komachi.

I can't believe I forgot about Komachi! All this crazy talk diverted my attention from my sister in pain! Wah- She's not in pain. Hell, she's even snoring! Oi! Stop snoring so loudly! Whatever. At least snoring means she's not bothered by her fever too much. I'm glad she seems alright now.

"For some reason I seem to forget her name all the time. I must be bad with names, huh…" Shiori says as she begins to caress Komachi's hair with the back of her hand.

I twitch slightly as I watch her touching my sister. It's creepy. My mother does the same thing to Komachi. Shiori even has the same loving expression. This is too creepy.

Shiori notices this from the corner of her eye and she smiles at me slyly.

"Siscon…" She whispers and makes a small smile.

Hah? Don't touch my sister so much, you are a guest of this household! Only those with permission may touch Komachi. Besides, anyone who cares for their siblings would react the same way I did if a stranger started touching them!

Shiori pulls her hand away from Komachi and places it on the bed. She stares up at the ceiling, closes her eyes and makes a soft sigh.

Eyes still closed, she says "I said our relationship would reset, didn't I?"

"Huh? Uh, Yeah."

That sudden subject change. Not to mention that sensitive topic. Where does she plan to go with this conversation?

"I'm sorry. I thought of not accepting sensei's request for the sake of keeping my promise but… I just couldn't leave Komachi like that. I know you were never too fond of Mamoru either but I know you yourself wouldn't leave him if he were to have a fever."

Huh? Have I met Mamoru? She makes it sound like we already met. If that's the case, why was he acting like we never did when he showed up at Soubu?

"I want to fulfill your desires that's why I intend to keep my promise."

Shiori stares at me with resolution and falteringly says "T-tomorrow, we'll be strangers again. T-that's your desire, right?"

Fulfill my desires? What the hell is this girl thinking? Does she want to be my maid or something? This thing with our relationship resetting, it's getting pretty out of hand as well. Maybe resetting relationships don't actually work. Maybe it's just my hopefully cynical mind playing tricks on me. That riajuu could be wrong. What if resets don't even work for me?

Shiori's phone rings for a while, indicating that she either got a missed call or mail. She gently stands and looks at Komachi and then me. She smiles at me in a resigned way.

"My driver's here. I'll take my leave."

"Oh. Yeah. It's dark already. I'll escort you out."

True. It has been a while since the last rays of sunshine dispersed. Chiba is now fully enveloped in the veil of darkness.

"I'd like that, Hikigaya-kun." Shiori says with a more cheerful smile than before.

Together we head down the stairs in silence. The wooden steps make the same creaking echoing sound, yet know it's not haunting anymore. Frankly, it's the only thing breaking the awkward silence between this girl and me.

As we reached the first floor of the house I realized that I didn't turn on the lights before I went upstairs. It's dark. Dark and cold. I have to turn on the lights.

I look at Shiori and say "Shiori, wait here. I'll turn on the lights."

Why was I telling her to wait? Could this just be my onii-chan reflexes kicking in? Do I see her as a little sister that's afraid of the dark? Do I think of myself as someone that will protect her from whatever lurks in the blackness? Hah. No. This is just proper procedure. She is the guest, I am the resident. No big deal.

"Sure. I'm not afraid of the dark, though. If that's what you're thinking."

"Got it. I'll be just a sec." I reply as I walk into the darkness of the living room.

The dark isn't something that scares people. The blackness and the loss of light? No. People are not afraid of the dark because of this. They are afraid of the dark because of the possibility that something unknown lies within it. The fear of the unknown. That's what drives people to fear darkness. Could there be other reasons for someone to fear the darkness? Well… The darkness could feel like nothingness. Maybe if people are afraid of emptiness then they'd probably be afraid of darkness too, right?

I cling to the wall as I make my way through the room. My footsteps go; _Tap. Tap. Tap._ It's not really that dark though. Once you get used to it you can kinda see the outlines of some objects. Couch. Table. Kitchen counter. That stuff. Damn. Where the hell is this light switch? I've been living in this house for nearly two decades and yet I still have trouble finding the light switch. Now how could that be? Maybe it's because I'm just trying so hard to find it? Does that make sense?

Ah. There we go. Found it.

I feel the plastic casing of the light switch and manage to feel the protruding plastic known as the switch. Heh. I should probably say something cool before I turn on the lights. Let there be light, maybe? Eh, whatever.

Just as I was about to flick the light switch something grabs my hand. It's cold and soft. Though it's dark I can tell it's a hand. I didn't even have time to panic or anything. I felt something cling to me. It was warm and soft. Whatever it was pushed my back to the wall.

It pulls back a bit and I am face to face with Shiori. Her face and her features are softened because of the darkness. Yet in our nearness I can make out her face quite a bit. She stares at me a somber expression. Her small smile that showed sadness. Her eyes, filled with emotions. Yet why couldn't I read those emotions right now?

"W-what?" I stutter as I attempt to slide away from her.

She pushes her hands on my chest with surprising force causing me to get pushed back into the wall. Ow. I think I just hit my head on the wall. Though she kept me pinned, she wasn't hurting me. With her strong yet gentle hands on my chest, I begin to realize the situation I'm in.

Ding ding ding! Am I getting lucky tonight? She seems like an assertive girl. Why is she doing this to me in the dark? What could this mean apart from what I think it means? Thankfully the lights haven't been turned on. The dark will conceal my face which was currently blushing furiously. Why does this girl love getting into such close proximity with me?

Shiori lowers her head enough so that I couldn't see the expression on her face. She closes the gap between us and slowly she rests her head on my chest. I hear her breathing slowly, softly and quietly.

"I'm sorry." She whispers.

I don't reply. Maybe because I'm still in shock that she's hugging me right now. Sure she hugged me before but the feeling then was different. Somehow, this act seemed more _intimate_.

"Just for a while longer… Please." She whispers again. This time her voice is faltering. It's like she's about to cry.

Uh oh. What should I do? Isn't her driver just outside? What would he do if he found Shiori crying? Ah crap. Uh think, think… Komachi! Head petting! Crap, would that work right now? Should I try it? Is it worth to try?

"You don't have to overthink things, Hikigaya. You don't need to do anything more for me." She says, her face still hidden in my chest.

"Uh… O-okay." I reply awkwardly.

We stay in that position for a while. Her holding on to me while I stand and do nothing. Yep. I could really take advantage of this situation but I'm not. Not because I've done her wrong, though that could be one reason. But because she doesn't deserve that. She doesn't deserve to be taken advantage on. Could it be guilt that's stopping me or is it just the responsible, disciplined gentleman in me? Could it be something else? Something much more?

These thoughts begin to formulate in my head but suddenly Shiori pulls away from me and turns on the light at the same time.

Aaargh! The sudden burst of white light takes my eyes by surprise and I am momentarily blinded. I feel something soft and moist make contact with my cheek. My vision returns and I see Shiori standing in front of me. She wore a calm expression on her face. Did she… Did she just…

"You don't have to escort me outside anymore, Hikigaya. See you at school." Shiori says as she makes her way to the door.

I intended to call out to her but my voice just wouldn't work. My brain function was faltering because of recent events.

I only watch as Shiori exits the door and closes it behind her without taking another look at me. Not long after, I hear the sound of a car rolling away slowly. The sound of the car gradually gets softer and more distant and after a while I don't even hear it anymore.

I slowly slide down the wall and slump down the floor. My brain attempts to continue processing what had just happened. After a while, I whisper and say to no one in particular.

"Did you just kiss me?"

* * *

 **I apologize for the relatively long wait yet short chapter. Fever is an ass, especially when you get it for a while. I'm good now so I'll try to keep to my 5-7 day update time.**

 **This was also meant to be the last Pre-Shiori chapter. Meaning the chapters before she's revealed to the rest of our Soubu High peeps. Even if I wasn't down with the fever, the chapter would still have been this short because I decided to make her Soubu debut a separate chapter.**

 **To anyone who doesn't know, Pascal's Wager is a philosophical idea made by Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher. Basically, Pascal's Wager is about god and whether such a being exists. According to Pascal's Wager, people should believe and live as though god exists, even though he may or may not. That way, if he does, you go to heaven or whatnot, and if he doesn't you don't lose anything. You have nothing to lose from believing in god, and everything to gain if he exists. That's basically the short summary of Pascal's Wager. Oh, if I didn't explain it too well, feel free to write a review explaining it better, or check out Wikipedia.**

 **How do you like Shiori's character so far? I hope she's kinda likeable at least…**

 **Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to read the new chapter! If you guys have time, I would really appreciate a review. :)**

 **This is Veltus, Signing off.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you guys so much for all the support on this story of mine! It's one of the many things that keeps me going! 100 favorites and almost 150 follows!? That's a milestone for me because that means at least 149 readers are waiting on my work!**

* * *

Chapter 11: Coincidences

Pathetic. Why are my thoughts being clouded by the actions of others? That girl kissing me got my brain riled up. Though it's not entirely her fault that I can't function properly right now. I share on the blame because it was my thinking that actually fired my brain with these adolescent thoughts. Sure, she kissed me which triggered the possibility of delusional thinking but my mind clearly went through with thinking of these things. Such is the mind of the typical adolescent, hormone-driven male. I thought I was an exceptional case. I thought I wasn't like normal guys. I guess I'm pretty ordinary.

"Onii-chan…"

Komachi whined from her bed, begging me to come to her. Too cute, little sister! You keep saying stuff in that way and I might just not leave your side ever! My little sister was still down with a fever but thankfully she's gotten much better. She could actually go to school tomorrow. That's how much better she was right now. Sadly, I can't allow that because she might relapse if she overexert herself.

I close the book I was reading "How to give a Soubu High School Tour for dummies" leave it on her desk as I stand from the seat and move over to Komachi.

"What do you want?" I say as I tower over her figure which was currently wrapped in a cocoon of blankets.

"Onii-chan! Sit here!" She motioned to a spot on her bed.

"Right." I mumble as make my way to the spot she gave me.

It seems that the better Komachi is feeling, the more commanding she gets. At least when it comes to me. Is this special treatment for your brother? Because if it is, it's bad special treatment. I get the short end of the stick when you're healthy. You boss me around so much… Well, there's nothing we can do about that. Little sisters will be little sisters.

"Onii-chan, what time is it?"

Tch. Seriously? You have a clock on the wall of your room! All you have to do to know the time is to turn your head, lazy girl.

"8:24 P.M." I reply as I sit on the edge of her bed.

"Cuddle with me, onii-chan!"

"No."

"Wah!? Why not?"

"You just got back from a fever. I don't want to get your sickness."

"Meanie!" Kommachi cries out as she hides under her blankets.

She's really cute when she's cross with me. I like it when she gets angry. Wait. Does that make me a masochist?

"Onii-chan, did you wash the dishes?" Komachi asks as she slowly pokes her head out of the covers.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Screw the dishes. They can wait. I have to stay by my sister right now." I say I lean on the bed's headboard.

"Ah! Onii-chan that scored you a lot of points!" Says Komachi as she gives me a sly smile.

After Komachi and I ate the dinner I cooked, which was curry by the way, I just left the dirty dishes in the sink. I should wash those before my parents get home. I wouldn't want them to wash dishes the moment they get home. That's just downright inconsiderate. Then again, I have plenty of time to wash. My poor parents won't get home until much later tonight. Something to do with clients and stuff I think.

"By the way, onii-chan, who's Rai-chan?" Komachi asks suddenly.

What's with girls and the first name basis? Are you females that close to one another that you automatically call each other with first names?

"No one." I say as I suddenly remember what happened between us in the dark of the living room.

"Ehehe! Onii-chan you're blushing!"

"No. I think I caught your fever." I say as I jokingly check my temperature with my hand.

"Liar!" Komachi squeals.

"You caught me." I shrug.

"Seriously, onii-chan. Who is she?"

How do I go about explaining my relationship with Shiori to my little sister? Tell the absolute truth? I could. Should I?

"She's a transfer student. We haven't talked much."

"Really? Then why did she take me home?"

"Didn't sensei request her to take you home?"

"Oh, right! Ahaha! That makes her a good person then!"

Mhm… You are such a good judge of character, Komachi. Sigh. Just because she helped you doesn't mean she's nice you know? Ulterior motives, little sis. Ulterior motives. True goodness in people are rare nowadays. Many would only do good things because they would have something to gain. An image, a reputation, indebt, etc. Nevertheless, I should just agree with Komachi.

"Sure."

"Onii-chan we should do something for Rai-chan! How about a welcome party!? Maybe you could invite her here! Or bring her on a date!" Komachi squeals, she's obviously enjoying this.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. We're only acquaintances."

Seriously. What are you thinking, Komachi. Just leave the girl alone, will you?

"I'm just so happy that your bride choices have increased!"

Haaah? Whuuut? Hang on. I should voice my thoughts.

"Haaah? Whuuut?"

"You know! There's Yui-chan! Then there's Yukino-chan! Now there's Rai-chan! I bet you have other choices too! Maybe Taishi's older sis?" Komachi blabbers quickly.

I stand up from the bed and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Since you can think of such things, I am assuming you're perfectly healthy." I say as I stare down at her.

Komachi scrambles out of her blanket and bounces on her bed a couple times.

"You betcha, onii-chan! Komachi is good and well!" Komachi says while giving me a thumbs up.

"Don't overexert yourself. Next thing you know the fever's back." I say as take my book from her desk and walk to the door.

"Heeeeey! What about staying with me ooooonii-chan!" Komachi whines as she starts to hit her pillow.

That pillow did nothing wrong. Why are you hurting it? Then again, I don't think that pillow feels a thing. Poor pillow, you are a mere anger management tool.

"Onii-chan has work to do and you have to rest. I'll be in my room. Just give a shout if you need anything." I say as I leave her room as fast as I can, closing the door behind me.

I can hear Komachi yelling and cursing me from the other side of the room. That's good. If she gets angry with me it means she's pretty healthy. Okay, I'll leave her to rest. If she doesn't get enough rest tonight her fever might come back.

* * *

Now, what should I do? Oh, right. The tour. This is such a hassle. I can't believe Hiratsuka-sensei strong armed me to work on this…

I walk in the hallway and make my way to my room. I enter my silent sanctuary and sigh. I sometimes like to refer to my room as… wait for it… The Batcave. Hell yeah. I don't know why but I've been a huge fan of Batman and I sometimes like to pretend I'm him. I remember back in junior high I would cosplay as him. Though my costumes only comprised of my grey towel, dark blue jogging pants and black Metallica shirt that I inherited from my dad.

*Rapatata-ding-ding! Rapatata-ding-ding!*

Notification on my phone. I wonder what could it be? I pull out my phone and click the power button. I look at the notification symbol. It's an email notification. From Yukinoshita. I open the mail and read it.

[Hikigaya-kun, if you are free tomorrow you and I can head to the mall to get your suit.]

Well… You could have just told me that tomorrow. Then again, what's the point of having someone's address if you don't use it, right?

I plop myself on my bed and dig my face into my pillow.

Okay. Should I reply to this? Normally, I should. It's common communication etiquette to reply to emails. Which means I really should reply. Especially since it's Yukinoshita. I don't think she'd like it if I didn't reply. Now that I know I'm going to reply, I need to have a plan on how I reply. Oh, and when. Think, Hachiman. Should I reply now? No, that would mean I wasn't busy. I should wait at least a couple of minutes before I reply, that way it will give an illusion of me being busy. Right? I don't know. The contents of my reply. How should I proceed? Formal or casual? Long or short? Emoticons or no emoticons? Okay, that's actually an obvious one. Hmm. Hmmm…

Damn. This is stupid. It's a waste of energy and effort. Screw it. I'm replying now. I'm replying right now with whatever I think of on the spot. It's not like I care what she thinks of me. I already know she doesn't care. Or does she? Argh, don't get those thoughts into your head, Hachiman!

I begin typing my reply on the phone. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. Yesh. Whatever works. Just cram it all in there. I finish my reply in no time and without thinking or double checking its contents I press send.

[Mail sent]

Aahhh… Well that's done. Should I reread what I wrote? It's weird how I just wrote it a while ago yet I don't remember the contents. Nope. Not going senile. Just not observant. Yep. That's it.

I lay on my bed and stare at the ceiling for a while. It just occurred to me that I'm actually waiting for Yukinoshita's reply. Just like in middle school, I'm waiting on a girl. No. This can't happen. I'm not the person I once was. I'm not going to wait for her reply. I'm not going to wait for anyone's reply for that matter. Never again. I don't want to feel what I felt back then.

" _Hachi! You didn't reply to the mail I sent you!"_

" _Eh? Oh, sorry, Rai. I guess I fell asleep."_

" _No you didn't! You deliberately ignored it!"_

" _How would you know that?"_

" _Because I-"_

No. For once I don't want to have any flashbacks about her. I don't want to remember anything new right now. Stop it brain. Listen to me about this.

I sigh and stand up from my bed to place my phone in my desk drawer. I'll leave that there until later before I sleep.

" _Hachi… I love you. Let's sleep together all the time."_

" _D-don't say that! You make it sound sexual! Also, we can't do this every day! What if my parents see you in my room?"_

" _Relax. You lock your room, right? Besides, I'm pretty good at hiding."_

Please, stop. Brain. I don't want to remember anything right now. Also, these triggers are so weird. I'm pretty sure that memory was triggered because of my thought about sleep. Why didn't I remember this before? I think about sleeping all the time! No, stop thinking about this stuff, Hachiman.

I sit on my desk and flip through the book sensei gave me. I skim through its contents quickly and gain a decent understanding of its parts. Honestly? "How to give a Soubu High Tour for dummies?" It's basically telling me how to give a typical school tour! There isn't anything Soubu at all about this thing! Show food store. Show year level rooms. Show gymnasium and fields. Show bathrooms… This book is no help.

I chuck the book into my desk drawer and make an annoyed sheep sound.

"Baaah!"

That reminds me, if I'm going to give a tour I need to be with Shiori. Wait. How am I supposed to do that? Don't tell me I have to go to her classroom? What's her section number anyway? Great. I don't even kno- Hang on. Right. Sensei gave me her transfer documents. I'm still wondering why she had to give me such sensitive material but at least my job's easier now.

I excavate my school bag for the document Hiratsuka-sensei gave me and manage to find it in no time. As I'm about to open the document I feel a weird sensation. It feels like I'm stalking her with this… It doesn't feel right. Should I- no, I have to. I need to know her section at least.

I manage to pluck up enough courage to open the document and I read the file. Here we go. First name. Last name. Height. She's taller than me!? Getting of track. Weight… Nope, I won't look at that. Too late… Screw you readers, like hell I'm going to tell you her weight!... What, they even have foot size? Unnecessary much? Ah, there we go. Section 3-I. That's the same section as Yukinoshita? Is this a coincidence? Well, at least I don't have to see her that much.

After finding out her section I close the document and return it to my bag. It's not like I want to know more about her. I think. Well… It couldn't hurt to know her interests right? I shouldn't. I won't look into that document anymore. I'll return it to sensei as soon as possible.

Hmm… I think I should ask sensei about this tour. The book she lent me didn't cover anything about time so I don't know when I should give the tour. Do I give the tour before class starts? That would mean she and I would have to arrive earlier than most students. We don't share email addresses so I can't contact her for that. I guess it should be after classes end? I think Yukinoshita would allow me to skip club if it I told her my situation. Yeah, I guess I could do that? Still, I should ask sensei.

I get my phone from my desk drawer. I hesitate opening it. Why though? Is it because I'm hoping Yukinoshita replied to me? That's it, I guess. I really shouldn't think about that stuff. Emotions like that won't do me any good.

[No New Messages]

Tch. Why am I feeling disappointed? I try to divert my attention from my feelings and begin to write a message for sensei. This time I double check it before sending.

[Oi, sensei. What time should I give the tour?]

Yep. Not rude at all. My relationship with sensei _is_ kinda special. I doubt she punches any of her other students, or does she? Brushing off that thought I click send. It'll take a while before she replies to me.

*Bibadabap-Bapbap. Bibadabap-Bapbap.*

[1 New Message]

Wow. That was quick, sensei. I open the mail and begin reading.

[Hikigaya-kun, that reply was quite obnoxious, even for you. Please edit and revise your writings before letting others read them. If you don't the readers may lose a IQ points because of your terrible writing. About our outing tomorrow, we should head to the mall after club. Also, should we ask Yuigahama to join us?]

So it wasn't sensei after all. I reread Yukinoshita's reply. What was so bad about my message? I quickly check the mail I sent to verify her critique about my writing. Oooh. That _is_ obnoxious. Well, let's just delete that and try to forget about it, shall we? After deleting my sorry excuse for a reply I begin to ponder Yukinoshita's other point. I already agree that we should go after club so I'll just confirm, but what about Yuigahama? She would feel bad if she was wasn't invited and if she was invited she would feel like the third wheel. She wasn't invited to the party either. I already feel sorry for her.

I ponder the possibilities and I decide on a final verdict; invite her to the outing. That will ensure she doesn't feel left out or betrayed. Yukinoshita and I should just leave the decision to her. I personally think that's best. I type my reply to Yukinoshita and send it without double checking. Damn. Forgot to double check. Well that's spilled milk. No way am I going to read that mail either. Delete before I get a glimpse!

*Tantitampam-Tantitampam*

Fast! Superfast! That wasn't even five minutes! Demon superwoman!

[Chances are there won't be enough time to do the tour before class starts so do it after classes. I will inform Yukinoshita about your responsibility. She will excuse you from club. Also… Don't 'oi' a teacher you brat!]

It was from sensei this time. Looks like I have a green light for this tour. The club won't bother me about it. Good job sensei. Though I kinda feel some malicious energy radiating from this message. Is sensei the type to hold grudges? We'll find out tomorrow, I guess. Please don't kill me sensei.

The time on my phone says it's already 9:15 P.M. I could stay up later and read my novel but I feel beat right now. I'll just sleep now so I can wake up early tomorrow. That doesn't sound like a typical high school student…

I check to make sure the alarms on my phone are active. Good. They're all on. I sometimes sleep heavily and I tend to wake up to turn off the alarm only to go back to sleep. That's why I have to have a lot of alarms to wake me up. I place my phone on the desk and change to my pajamas. I should have done this earlier…

After changing clothes I slump down on my bed. My mind and body are ready to sleep. Crap, I forgot. I have to brush… Urgh, the bed is so comfy. I just want to forget about my teeth and hygiene and just go to sleep. Sadly, I can't. I don't want to have cavities. I also don't want to smell bad because I respect other humans enough to have decent hygiene when in close proximity with them.

A quick maintenance in the bathroom, lasting for five minutes, and I'm finally back on my bed and ready to sleep. Moments later and I begin to get drowsy. I slip from my consciousness from time to time. I'm about to fall asleep. It's kinda cool how I can tell that I'm about to sleep…

* * *

My first alarm wakes me up from my slumber. The sun's not even up yet… Five more minutes of sleep, please.

.

.

.

Great. I can't fall back to sleep.

Seeing as I can't return to my slumber, I decide to start the day early. I yawn widely and stretch my arms. Afterwards I get up and leave my room to check on the members of my family.

I quietly opening the door of Komachi's room. She's snoring pretty loudly and I bet she even has some drool dripping on her sheets. Your cute girl image is breaking down, little sister. Just kidding! After ensuring Komachi is alive and breathing I head to my parents' room to check up on them. They lock their doors before they sleep so all I can do is attempt to perceive them snoring or breathing from outside their room. Yep. Both parents are alive. Now that that's done I guess I should get ready for school and make some breakfast.

I return to my room and make my bed. It's routine in my family to always keep the beds in order after we wake up. Next I check my phone to deactivate the rest of my alarms before they go off and annoy me.

Oh, it seems I have a mail.

[I understand, Hikigaya-kun. I will inform Yuigahama about our outing tomorrow. I believe she will be happy to join us. Would it be alright if we drop off our school bags at my place first? It would be bulky if we were to also bring our bags to the mall.]

Right. We were talking about the shopping thing. She sent this yesterday, I guess around the time I was asleep. Damn. She asked me a question and I didn't reply. Not good. I doubt Yukinoshita would be happy about me not replying automatically to her question. Ah, there are more.

[Hikki! You and Yukinon are going to the mall tomorrow? Is it a date? She invited me because you told her to, would I be the third wheel!?]

[Hey! Hikki! Why are you not replying to me? You're for sure awake! Don't ignore me stupid Hikki!]

[… You're ignoring me, aren't you…]

[:( HIKKI!]

[oh… maybe you are asleep… ok… ehehe. ;) Sowwy]

Looks like I have to talk to Yuigahama about this later. Sorry for not replying, Yuigahama. I know how it feels to be ignored. But then again, I'm not to be blamed at all! I'm innocent! It's not like I _didn't_ want to reply to her. I just fell asleep, that's all. At least in this situation it's true! Not like other situations such as my friend who always sent mails to girls only to receive stupid replies like "Sorry I fell asleep" from those girls or messages from mailer-daemon! Definitely didn't happen to me. I'm telling you it happened to a friend! Urgh. Who am I kidding…

One thing's for sure. I am not replying to them _now_. We're going to see each other at school anyhow. I'll just talk to them then. Postpone work until last minute, that's the motto of most teenagers, right?

After reading my mail I place my phone back on my desk and head downstairs to make breakfast.

I reach the landing of the stairs and I my gaze lands to the hallway where the light switches were. The place where I got my first kiss from a girl that wasn't part of my family. Sure, it wasn't lips to lips but it's still a milestone. Looks like this hallway is historical for me now. I mean, if I care about that stuff, not that I do. Honestly, this stuff brings out the worst in people in most cases. That's why I choose not to care about romance and love, it's too dangerous, you know?

Now's not the time to be thinking of that stuff. It's breakfast time. If I don't focus on household chores like cooking then I will fail as a house husband. If I want to reach this goal of mine, I need to have a certain set of skills. Cooking, cleaning, washing, among other things. Not only must I do them, but I also have to do them well and efficiently. A mark of a master house husband is the ability to execute chores with high quality and quick time! Sadly, I still can't perform well on both requirements which is why I need to practice more! Alright, enough talk. Let's get cooking.

.

.

.

Next time, I think I'm going to have to get cooking lessons from Soma Yukihara. But if I can, I'd love to get his dad instead. Hahaha! Well… At least the food's edible.

I prepare the table so that when Komachi and my parents wake up they could have breakfast. Heh, I'm such a good son, aren't I? Looks like I have plenty of time to kill before I actually have to head to school. I'll take a bath, eat breakfast and then play some Monster Hunter! Oh yeah!

There's something great about waking up early. The relaxing atmosphere of a still sleeping house truly comforts me. It would be a great start to a day if it weren't for these stupid Lizardmen that always swarm me! Shit! This was meant to be a relaxing time waster that I play while lying down on the couch! My character's not built for swarms! If only I had slaves that would help co-op these cold-blooded bastards! Oh, by slaves I actually mean 'friends'. Haha, not that I really want them though.

After playing the game for a while, I decide to stop and get ready for school. I can't be tardy two times in a row or sensei will kill me. So, I turn off my game and do all the necessary preparations for school. In no time I get into my uniform and sling my bag on my shoulder. I wonder if I should wake my parents up… Nah. They need their sleep. I'll just slide a note under their door about the food and Komachi. Although I am pretty sure the school has already informed them of Komachi's condition. I guess they didn't fuss too much over it because they knew I would take care of her well. Honestly, that's both good and bad…

On a loose slip of paper I write a note to my parents and slide it under the door. Next, I head into Komachi's room. As soon as I enter the room, Komachi bolts up from her bed.

"Onii-chan! You're going to school?"

"I always go to school. I'm not a delinquent."

"Right! Have fun then!"

"Huh? Why aren't you getting ready yet? Come on, I'll wait for you." I say as I sit on the edge of her bed.

Komachi shakes her head furiously. "It seems I got my fever again…"

Not good! I wonder why? Did you overexert yourself last night, Komachi? This is why you shouldn't sleep late! Honestly, what could you be doing so late at night?

"Looks like I'll have to stay at home to take care of you then." I say as I stand and grab the thermometer from her desk.

"Nonono! Onii-chan has to go to school! Mom said she'll stay at home to take care of me! It'll be fine." Komachi says as she makes a shooing motion at me.

"Oh… Is that so?" I say sort of relieved.

Komachi nods her head several times. "Yeah! Yeah! Mom said it's important for you to be at school since it's your last year before heading off to college! She says you need to make memories!"

Pssh. What memories will I make? It's not like my school life is that interesting. I'm actually a pretty stale high school guy. My only selling point is the fact that I'm in a club with two beautiful ladies. Also, that selling point is only a selling point to _other_ high schoolers. Since I don't care about typical youth I actually don't have any selling points.

"That's why you gotta go to school, Onii-chan!" Komachi says triumphantly as she points a finger at me.

"Right. Right. I'll go. It's good that mom's gonna be the one to take care of you. Dad's a really bad nurse."

"Bwahaha! Remember when we were little and he gave you hot chili for your fever? He said it would be like fighting fire with fire! It would counteract the sickness!"

Yeah. I definitely remember that. Honestly, dad. You went to college. You should know that doesn't work. All that red chili did was burn my tongue. On the bright side though, the pain I got from the chili _did_ drown out the pain from fever, so I guess that's a plus?

"Anyway, Onii-chan, you gotta go now. Byebye!" Komachi says as she makes another shooing gesture.

"Alright. See you later." I say as I leave the thermometer on the table and begin to head out the door.

I stop before actually leaving her room and I say one last thing.

"Get some rest, Komachi and get well soon."

"Yes, capt'n!" Komachi winks and gives me a salute.

I grin at Komachi and leave her room.

It's still pretty early but I guess I'll head to school.

* * *

There's something mystical about being at school before it actually starts. Though this wouldn't be the best way to describe this feeling, I think the time before school starts could be analogized with an eye of the storm. See? I told you it's not too good an analogy. This made school sound like a disastrous event, you know? But still, it's what I feel right now.

It's as if I'm in the eye of the storm. Sooner or later I will be surrounded by its ferocious winds and its machine gun water sprays. By ferocious winds, I mean the people; students and teachers. By machine gun water sprays, I mean the lessons; quizzes, readings, etc.

All I can do now is to gain a positive outlook on the school day. Hah. Sadly, I cannot. Surrounding myself with people of such pathetic caliber, not that I think I'm better than them. Frankly, I think I'm one of the lowest people here. That's how pathetic I am.

Well, no use thinking about this stuff now. I guess I'll just sit in the classroom, read my novel, and wait for the school day to start.

I flip through my novel and immerse myself in the story. It was written by this award winning Japanese author. The book's about the happenings in Japan in the few hours before sunrise. Specifically 11:56 at night to 6:52 in the morning. At first it looks just like a normal story about nighttime happenings but then it gets kinda surreal. At one point, there's this sleeping girl character who is being observed by a man inside her TV. Then when she wakes up she's actually trapped in the TV!

The story was weird but apparently it's not the weirdest work this author wrote. I heard this particular author was inspired by a lot of western culture that's why his works don't feel to Japanese. I guess that's why he gets quite a bit of criticism from other Japanese writers.

Suddenly I hear someone yell my name.

"Oi! Hikigaya!"

I snap my book shut and stare at the person who yelled.

It was Hiratsuka-sensei. She was wearing her usual lab coat. She was standing by the doorway of the classroom wearing an annoyed look on her face while staring at me.

"Sensei."

"I heard from Shiori-san's parents that she's headed here now. Go to the gates and accompany the girl to her classroom, mister tour guide!" She commands in a sly tone.

"Do I have to?" I whine.

"Of course! As tour guide you have to! Also, it's an order from your superior!" She says triumphantly.

Tch. Strong armed again.

I return my novel to my bag while still pondering what the hell will happen to that girl who got stuck in the TV. Guess I won't find out until later. I leave my bag on my desk since I doubt anyone would bother with it. Even my property has some level of Stealth Hikki.

"Make sure she gets _inside_ the classroom, Hikigaya." Sensei says as she steps aside to let me out the door.

"Yeah. Okay sensei." I say grudgingly as make my way out the door.

Hiratsuka-sensei gives me a playful and _painful_ slap on the back and says "Go get 'em champ!"

Just what am I supposed to _get?_

I give her a stiff nod before heading to the school gates.

* * *

Swarms of students begin to arrive at Soubu. After all, it's almost 8:30. In around ten minutes the teachers will begin the roll call.

Where the hell is this girl? I don't want to stay here if she's going to be late. If she doesn't arrive by 8:25 I'm bailing. Then again, it's better for transfer students to arrive just before class starts that way students won't be able to badger them until second period. Pretty smart move there, Shiori-san.

As I stand by the school gates awaiting the transfer student a familiar ice cold beauty enters my line of vision.

She notices me and walks over to me.

Yukinoshita greets me. "Hikigaya-kun."

"Yo." I reply.

"What are you doing outside? Class is about to start."

"I could say the same to you, Ms. Punctual. You're running pretty late today." It's true. I bet Yukinoshita's the type to arrive at least twenty minutes before school starts.

"A-ah. I s-slept kinda late last night because of some things…" She says awkwardly.

That's weird. Why's she so fazed? She slept late? I wonder wh- Oh. Maybe it was because of me? No, that's just thinking too highly of myself. I doubt she'd lose sleep for me. She probably had work to do. She's in the special class, after all.

"Oh, ok. You should head to your classroom." I say while trying not to sound bossy.

"A-ah, y-yes. Y-you should go as well." She stutters while beginning to blush mildly.

Maybe it _was_ because of me? Get that thought out of your head, Hachiman.

"Yeah. I'll head back in a while. You go on ahead." I say. Then I add "Have you seen Yuigahama?"

Yukinoshita slightly jumps when she hears me say Yuigahama's name.

"No. I haven't heard from her. Uh, I'll go on ahead, Hikigaya-kun."

"Okay."

She gives me an awkward wave that looked like she wanted a high five. I give her a nod and she leaves for her class.

I wait for a while longer for this girl. A lot of students are still arriving, most of them seem to be still half asleep too. A surprising amount of students arrive really late. After a while longer of waiting, I decide to bail on this girl and I begin to walk back to my classroom.

Suddenly, a commotion starts among the late arrivals. I hear some of the students' remarks.

"Woah, dude! Check it out! A girl transfer student."

"Holy! She's hot!"

"Red hair and green eyes! Oh man, just my type of babe!"

"Hey, let's go talk to her!"

"Yeah, good idea!"

"I wonder which class she's in?"

I whip my head and stare at the entrance. There she is. Shiori Rai. I can't say she's not good looking because that would be a total lie. She looks really good in the Soubu uniform. Damn. The guys will be all over her! Sensei specifically picked me to be her tour guide so that she wouldn't be badgered by these blockheads! I gotta get there.

As quickly as I could I make my way between her and the guys that would surely attempt to hit on her. I stand in front of her like a wall, shielding her from the guys. I don't know what's her reaction to all of this because I was paying too much attention to her ever growing fan base.

The guys begin to verbally assault me.

"Hey. Dude. Get out of the way. We want to talk to her."

"Yeah, who are you anyway?"

"Buzz off, guy."

Using my best commanding tone I say "Get back to your classrooms. Leave this girl alone."

It seems they didn't listen to me because they continue their verbal assaults.

"Who are you to command us?"

"Yeah! You just want her for yourself!"

"Why don't _you_ leave her alone?"

Crap. Not good. They aren't listening to me.

I hear a car door slam, the vehicle driving away, then footsteps.

"What's going on here?"

I take a risk and avert my eyes from the small horde of lusty boys and turn my head to look at the new arrival.

A couple steps behind us was Superman. Hayama Hayato. Good looking, rich and second highest grades in the batch or was it the school? He was also the ace of the Soccer team. Oh, and he's one of the most plastic people I know. His arrival shocked Shiori's fanboys which stopped them from advancing on Shiori for the moment.

Hayama suddenly got a shocked expression on his face. His eyes became wide and his mouth was slightly agape as he was staring at _something._ Whatever that was, it was really bothering him. I haven't seen Hayama Hayato this unsettled, ever.

I look to where he was looking and my gaze lands on Shiori. Hayama was looking at Shiori. Nothing wrong with that. She would make any man's day since she's such a sight to behold. But why does he have that expression glued to his face? Do they know each other? I look back and forth between Hayama and Shiori, hoping to figure something out while doing so. Shiori was staring back at him with a straight face.

Hayama quickly regains his composure and his expression reverts to the typical cool guy. He walks towards Shiori and me and stands beside me. He gives the ogling guys a stern and commanding look.

"Shouldn't you guys be in class?" He says sharply.

His words make the guys nervous and intimidated.

"Y-yes, Hayama-senpai!"

"S-sorry, Hayama-kun!"

"Let's get out of here."

"Yeah, you're right. It's almost class time."

In no time at all the mob of guys disperse and I find myself in front of the deserted school entrance with Shiori and Hayama.

"Rai."

My ear twitches to the sound of that name and I turn to face the speaker. Hayama was standing beside Shiori now. Woah, that was quick. Wasn't Superman just to my left a while ago? He was staring at her with a weird expression. I couldn't properly discern the expression but I could tell it was a mix. What emotions were these? Also, he called Shiori by her first name. So they were close? I stand in front of them quietly and I examine Shiori's reaction. She was wearing a deadpan expression that I couldn't read. She stared back into Hayama's eyes silently without moving at all.

"It's really you…" Hayama says in a whisper.

Although I want to leave those two alone, I know for sure it won't do any good. Their energies just weren't, _right._ Huh? What the hell am I talking about energies for?

"Uh… You two know each other?" I ask awkwardly.

Shiori turned her head towards me, looked at me with the same deadpan look and spoke.

"He's my ex-fiancé."

* * *

 **How'd you guys like that!? This is my Hissatsu shoot! I was thinking of not making this for the final thing because you guys might think it's too much of a coincidence… Well, it** _ **is**_ **a coincidence but I do have some points as to how it's pretty likely. Hehe. ShiorixHayama anyone? No? Ok.**

 **The title was really bad this chapter. Coincidences was appealing because of the end though. I'm just really bad at chapter titles. The only thing I have going for my chapter titles is the fact that they all hint about the contents of that chapter.**

 **I feel that I'm putting the 8manxYui ship in the back burner right now… Though I really want to add some more romance between the two I kinda remember something about them really just being friends in canon. 8man only thinks of Yui as a friend IIRC. I'll manage to get something going but don't expect it to happen anytime soon.**

 **8man has a lot of ringtones, eh? I just wanted to make my own ringtones up. It wouldn't make sense for it to be different all the time though so just imagine they all sound the same if that makes you uncomfortable. But if it doesn't bother you then please enjoy those specialized ringtones I wrote up.**

 **I haven't played Monster Hunter. Nor do I have any knowledge about the game. I was too lazy to even watch gameplays online to make realistic storytelling. Monster Hunter players, please forgive me if there aren't any lizardmen in the real game. Besides, it's not really that important to the story, right? Right? Don't hate me.**

 **Props to anyone who knew the author I was talking about and those who read that specific book! If you guys want to know, the author is Haruki Murakami and the book's title is "After Dark".**

 **Also, I have recovered from my fever but I've been real busy with real life so it still takes a while for me to update. I try to write a thousand words a day though.**

 **As always, thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I would also love to hear from you guys so please feel free to leave reviews. I'd also be happy to answer questions so ask away and I'll answer them in my next AN.**

 **Veltus, signing off.**


	12. Chapter 12

**XII**

 _ **Reunions are a Love Comedy thing**_

* * *

"He's my ex-fiancé."

You know how when some dramatic and shocking dialogue takes place the world seems to stop and give you some space? Vehicles seem to vanish, objects stop moving, and nature just shuts up? Yeah, that's only in the movies. After Shiori finished speaking, the world remained moving, as if her having an ex-fiancé was nothing of the matter. In fact, in the entire state of the universe, it probably didn't. Except to those who heard her utter those words.

I looked back and forth between the two who looked like they could cosplay as Naruto's parents.

"Come again?" I blinked.

Hayama scrunched his eyebrows as he stared at me, slightly miffed.

"Our parents arranged for us to be married."

Ah, yes. Wealthy families and their arranged marriages. Romantic story material. But then again, aren't arranged marriages normal? Japanese people have done that since the early days. In fact, I'd say 'romantic love' is the weird thing. It's just something Americans brought into our nation to increase capitalism! Isn't that right, Yamazaki?

"Right." I nodded.

A silence ensued that made me wish I wasn't here to witness this ridiculous rom-com of a situation. When has _any_ arranged marriage turned out for the better, am I right?

"Um… Class is about to start…" Shiori mumbled to no one in particular.

That got me and Hayama to snap out of the silence.

Hayama showed me his 'nice guy' grin as he gave me a wink and a thumbs up.

"I'll escort Rai to her class, Hikitani-kun."

Shiori's shoulders tensed up when Hayama spoke her given name.

Though I would've been more than happy to delegate any and all work to _anyone_ if I could, I knew that Hiratsuka-sensei would punch me to oblivion if I did so with this task. I can already imagine her charging up her ult.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to take her to class, Hayama."

Hayama looked at me with a blank expression. It seemed he didn't expect me to dispute his decision.

" _You_ were supposed to take her?"

"Hiratsuka-sensei ordered me to." I said with a mocking apologetic face.

"I'm pretty sure if sensei knew _I_ was here, she'd rather I do it than you." He retorted, now reverting to his cool guy façade.

"Yeah, I doubt that."

Before either of us could continue with this back and forth conversation similar to 'duck season, rabbit season' Shiori cut in.

"Hiratsuka-sensei told me that Hikigaya-san would escort me to my classroom." Her gaze remained on the ground as she said this.

There was a brief pause before any of us spoke again. Hayama was probably too stunned that a girl would pick me over him to take her to class. He stood there, surprised, as he stared at Shiori.

After a while, he seemed to surrender. He nodded and showed us that smile of his.

"Right. Well, I guess I'll head back to class."

"Good idea." I grinned, relishing this moment of superman getting rejected.

"Are you sure, Rai?" He said, hoping she'd change her mind.

Shiori didn't speak. She merely nodded her head as she started rubbing her hands together awkwardly.

Seeing as Shiori wouldn't change her mind, Hayama nodded once more and walked away from us and towards the school building.

As soon as Hayama was out of ear shot, I turned to Shiori and spoke.

"You don't want to have a romantic walk with your fiancé?"

She jumped at the word and it took her a while before she replied.

"…Ex…F-fiancé."

"Right. Well, I don't want either of us to be late so we should get to your class". I said while jerked my thumb towards the school building.

She nodded and without another word, we walked towards the school building as well.

* * *

We walked mostly in silence, with the occasional guidance from me. Since it was almost time for homeroom, most of the students were already in their classrooms. The few who were outside in the hallway took notice of Shiori but they didn't try to engage in conversation with her. That was good since I was only supposed to be a guide, not a bodyguard.

As we walked quietly through the mostly desolate hallways, I was left to my thoughts.

This is Shiori Rai. Apparently we used to be friends in junior high but because of my stupid actions, I hurt her. Based on my vague recollection, I probably hurt her _bad_. My childish angst and my pent up anger from previous experiences caused me to blow up on her. As someone who has been hurt by other people's words, I know that no one deserves that. I knew I had to somehow make things right by her.

In the back of my mind, I remembered her request to 'reset' our relationship. Perhaps that is the way I can make things right. Just start fresh. But is that really possible? I remember something from an American sitcom that said relationship clocks don't restart. When you have reunite with people you knew before, you can't just clear history and start new. You merely unpause the clock, and your relationship with that person continues from where you last left off. That was true for me and Orimoto, but was it true for everyone else?

We were near her classroom which stopped me from getting more lost in thought. She was walking silently beside me. She clasped her hands behind her back as she walked. Not once did she look at me. If she were from a galgame, I'd classify her as a meganekko, since most meganekko are shy girls. Ah, but she doesn't have glasses. Ah, crud. So, megane-less meganekko? So why call her one in the first place? Just shy girl type then.

I wondered why she was acting like this since her attitude from recent encounters were quite different. Sure, there were some similarities, but not enough to justify her being _this_ shy. I'm pretty sure the author just forgot how her character plays out since he hasn't written in a long while.

Trying to make conversation and at the same time gather data about her, I asked a random question.

"You're a quiet girl, huh?"

She quietly nodded as she turned her head to look out the hallway windows.

This struck me as odd since just the other day she wasn't like this at all! This girl is one of the boldest girls in the entire story!Shiori turned from the girl who takes the first move to the girl who can barely speak out loud. Hang on… Maybe it was _that_ time of the month?

"I forgot to say this yesterday, but thanks for taking Komachi home." I said, randomly remembering her visit.

She didn't reply and we arrived in front of her classroom. The door was closed, but you could hear the people talking inside.

Class 's class. The class filled with sophisticated and intelligent individuals. The majority of them female. In short, a battlefield. Having so many 'high-class' people in one room couldn't be healthy. Especially if they're girls. Ooooh! Shots fired! Triggered!

I almost felt sorry for Shiori. I don't remember how she acts towards other girls, especially to those who think she's a threat, but if she was any less hard-skinned than Yukinoshita, she might not handle it. This is the class of the maxed out IQ people, not maxed out EQ.

Shiori looked hesitant to enter the room.

Most of the class is already inside. _Anyone_ would be hesitant to enter. When she goes in, she'll be the center of attention. As someone who has been late for school _once,_ I can say that's a horrible experience. It's not a nice to feel your invisibility fail because thirty pairs of eyes were staring at you. That's why, you should never _ever_ be late for school. At least you get saved the humiliation of being the only one to enter the classroom.

"Yeah, just go whenever you're ready." I said, nodding to the door. Hey, don't blame me! It's not like I could do anything to _help_ her.

I stood there for a while, unsure of what to do. I couldn't decide whether I would stay and act like the supportive parents on the first day of their kid's kindergarten class, or just leave her to fend for herself like a Spartan father.

I watched as she edged forward and grabbed the door handle.

" _Was I your first kiss, Hikigaya?"_

" _T-technically, no. M-my mother probably was."_

" _Family doesn't count, silly!"_

" _T-that so? Well then… Y-yeah, you are…"_

"… _Can I tell you a secret?"_

" _S-sure."_

" _You're my first kiss too."_

Another flashback. An intimate one at that. Good job brain.

I held my head as it started throbbing a bit. It wasn't too painful but it was enough to make me woozy. I groaned slightly as everything started to spin. I closed my eyes in response to the dizziness.

I heard Shiori walk towards me.

"A-are you okay, Hikigaya-san?"

"Fine." I said shortly, trying not to move at all, for fear of making the headache worse.

Shiori probably realized it would be stupid to try talking to someone in pain so she stayed silent.

The pain eased after a couple seconds and I was able to open my eyes. She was still standing in front of me, biting her lip and looking at me with a worried expression.

"I'm fine. You should get inside."

"Are you sure? D-do you need me to take you to the clinic?"

"No need. Besides, you don't even know where the clinic is yet. I can take myself if I need to." Don't mean to be rude but it's the truth.

"R-right." Shiori said, looking slightly crestfallen.

We both stood there quietly for a time. I was completely still because I just realized what my flashback told me. I've had a first kiss. No, that's impossible. That can't be right. Sure, I'll believe I had a close friend before, maybe even got closer, but I don't believe we would do anything as intimate as that. Who would want to do that with me, right?

Hoping that she could prove to me nothing of the sort ever happened, I tried subtly getting into that topic by talking about what happened between us yesterday as I escorted her out of my house.

"About last night." I said slowly.

"Y-yeah?" She said, looking puzzled.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" She asked, looking more and more puzzled.

No way. Is she feigning ignorance? C'mon, girl. I didn't think you were the type to do that!

Deciding that I'll just be blunt and straight to the point, I told her.

"Why'd you kiss me?"

My words were met with silence. Shiori's eyes widened and she blushed furiously. She frowned at me as she turned her face away from me.

"W-what are you talking about?" She said, not meeting my gaze.

Is she still playing this card? If she was like this, I wonder how I could've been her friend at all. I hated girls who acted like this.

But what if she was right? That nothing happened yesterday? Could I have been fantasizing things? Determined to find out the truth, I continued my assault, hoping to get her to confess about yesterday's events.

"You brought my sick sister home, took care of her, and before you left you kissed me." I ranted. Please tell me I wasn't being a delusional teenager.

She turned her head to face me. She looked at me viciously, like a tiger. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. It was almost at the same level of scary face that Yukinoshita does. Almost.

"I have neverkissed you." Her tone changed drastically. She didn't sound like the shy girl a while ago. Now she sounded like Miura, except her anger level was twice Miura's whenever she talks to me.

"I have _never_ kissed you. Not yesterday, not _ever._ " She said, her eyes turning into slits.

I couldn't reply. Her words stabbed me like knives. Mainly because of her emphasis at the fact that she wouldn't kiss me ever. I know no girl would kiss me, but you don't have to point it out so harshly, woman! It's one thing to acknowledge someone as undesirable but it's another thing to _openly_ tell him that! Undesirable people still have feelings too, you know!

Before I could say anything, she stepped away from me.

"Thank you for escorting me to the classroom. I'll be going in now." She said, a hint of malice in her voice.

"R-right." That was all I was able to say as she quickly entered the room and closed the door.

Eh? What the fuck?... Well… At least she won't be scared of being the center of attention now that she's all fired up thanks to me. She should thank me for getting her riled up.

But that drastic change in her personality really did throw me for a loop. Perhaps she was a tsundere? Maybe she was just downright bipolar or something.

I doubt I was delusional about the events yesterday. That was too real. So why was she lying? Why try so hard to pretend it didn't happen? Unless…

Before I could think of the situation any more, the final bell rang. Which meant I was late for class.

* * *

"You're lucky you have an excuse for being late."

I was standing in front of the classroom as all my classmates were engaged in pulling out books and pens from their bags. Though a few of them seemed to notice me, my stealth check successfully kept me unnoticed to the majority.

"Everything go smoothly with the operation, Hikigaya?"

"Yes, ma'am." No need to tell her about not so smooth parts of the job.

She nodded as she pointed to my desk.

"Alright, take a seat. Class is about to start."

I made my way to the desk, sat on my chair. Sensei opened her copy of the textbook and began her lesson.

Once sensei started talking, I placed my arms on the table and lay my head on top. Normally, teachers wouldn't allow students to sleep in their class. But since I'm one of the top scorers in the Japanese language exams, and I'm on good terms with Hiratsuka-sensei, she usually lets it slide every now and then.

I sat there quietly as sensei continued her lesson. Her voice and the scribbling of pens on paper brought a sense of noisy relaxation to my ears. My thoughts drifted to Shiori. The angry face she made kept me awake. Seriously, if you had seen the way she glared at me, you wouldn't be able to sleep for a while either.

I hate fake girls like her. Sure, I hate nice girls but they're at the same level as fake girls as well! They have that cluster of 'best friends' around them but I know it's just a title they give to people they find amusing or usable. They pretend to be nice girls who care about the guy with no friends, making him her 'friend' but in truth he was just another lackey to her. Then when he confesses to her she goes and says "Don't misunderstand, you're only just a friend. I wasn't leading you on!". Then later on she also stops being your so called 'friend'… Huh. Did I tell you that happened to a friend of mine? Yeah. It did.

She obviously lied about not knowing what happened yesterday. Why lie though? She's the one who did all those things. I was completely passive! Is she trying to bait me into falling for her and then crushing my heart? Because if she was, it's definitely not working. She should try more believable tactics.

Heh, like that's going to work. I'm a veteran of this battlefield of love. I know all those dirty tricks that girls use. If you know exactly what the enemy is going to do, there is no way you can lose. You could probably call me the Sun Tzu of Love. I might just write a book called "The Art of Hate". But then, that'd get sold out too fast and people will force me to make a sequel.

Before I knew it, Hiratsuka-sensei's class ended and in in came another sensei. Knowing that I couldn't get away with sleeping in class, I sat up straight and began focusing on the class at hand.

* * *

Lunch break is probably the favorite subject of all students internationally. If it counts as a subject, that is. The room was still filled with students since class had just ended but they were still packing up. I stood up from my desk and made my way to the cafeteria to buy my lunch.

As exited the room and walked through the hallways slowly being filled by students leaving classrooms, someone with pink hair bobbed into view. Yuigahama nudged me on the back as she smiled.

"Hikki! Where are you going?"

"Buying lunch. You?"

"Oh, uh, nothing! Want to eat together?"

Yuigahama looked at me with a slightly anxious face. Maybe she thought I would go loner-mode and decline her offer. Normally, I'd eat alone but since she did ask me if we could eat together, there was nothing wrong with accepting the offer. As someone who has asked a person of the opposite gender whether I could eat with them—and getting rejected by the way— I knew the feeling of getting rejected.

"Sure." I said as we continued walking together, heading to the cafeteria.

Yuigahama's face lit up like a light bulb and she gave me a wide smile.

"Un! I have a lot of food today so if you want we could share." She suggested as she showed me her large bento.

As much as I'd like free food, I'd feel bad for taking from someone's bento. I just think that bentos shouldn't be just given to people. You have to earn it through trade or something. Of course, I was too lazy to earn it so I simply declined her offer.

"I'm just going to buy something from the cafeteria."

Yuigahama nodded as she walked to my left. For some reason, she had a slight skip to her walking today.

A person approached me from the opposite side. It was Hayama. He gave me and Yuigahama a bright smile.

"Hikitani-kun! Mind if I borrow you a bit?"

What's this about, Hayama? Are you confessing your love for me!? Hah, no way. Only someone like Ebina would be delusional enough to think that. Luckily, she wasn't here to see our conversation.

"Uh…" I said.

"I'll take that as a yes, Hikitani!"

In what language could my response have been interpreted as a 'yes'?

Hayama gave Yuigahama an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Yui! We have some guy stuff to discuss."

"Oh, okay! Sure. I'll see you later Hikki!" She smiled and waved as Hayama took me by the shoulder and dragged me away.

* * *

We walked through the hallways together. Some of the scattered bystanders and passerby, specifically the girls, stared at us. Well, stared at Hayama, I mean. They were gawking like bitches in heat. Meanwhile, Hayama was just wearing a casual smile. He was probably used to this after all.

"What's this about, Hayama?" I whispered.

"Not here. Outside."

We escaped the eyes of the curious onlookers and exited the building. He lead me to an abandoned corner of the building. Either he's going to confess his love for me or he's going to kill me like a frickin' yandere. We stopped and faced each other.

A brief silence overcame us. Suddenly, quick as a flash, Hayama punched me in the gut.

I fell on all fours, coughing and gasping for air. I hugged my burning stomach as I looked up at my assailant.

Hayama stared down at me with a frown.

"That's what you get for hurting my best friend."

He knelt down to me at eye level and stared me down.

"I can't believe _you_ were actually the guy she was talking about back then. Do you even know how much you hurt her? I knew you were low, Hikigaya, but I didn't expect you to dump a girl and then just ignore her."

I was still gasping for air but I managed to retort with a question.

"How do you know it's even me?"

"The way she looked at you this morning. The way she acted towards you. I've known her since we were kids. She's _never_ acted that way towards any other guy."

I tried to stand up but Hayama shoved me to the ground. I hit my elbows on the pavement and I felt shock of electricity rush through my body. Fucking funny bones. He stood up and cowered over me.

"She was really happy with you. She talked about you all the time. Heck, I actually wanted to cancel the marriage so she can run off with you someday."

Hayama now looked furious. It was the type of furious a brother would get if their little sibling was picked on. I quickly got up to my feet and gave us some room.

"Do you know how shocked I was when she called me suddenly and cried through the phone? When I asked her to explain what happened, she didn't want to because she wanted to keep your identity a secret."

Hayama exhaled and his expression changed from anger to sadness. He chuckled sadly as pulled at his hair.

"She cried, Hikigaya. She kept saying it was her fault that everything went wrong. She wouldn't tell me exactly what happened."

I couldn't respond at all. For the first time ever, I saw Hayama's façade crack. He was a big brother type. Maybe he didn't actually have any siblings, but he had people he took care of. His friends. I guess that's why he didn't want Tobe confessing to Ebina last year. He wanted to keep their little family together.

"It's hard consoling your friend without knowing what the fuck happened to them, you know?" He said as he sat on the cement floor, his arms resting on his knees and his head hung back. He didn't speak for a while.

The way Hayama got angry at me made me feel all the more guilty for hurting Shiori. I don't think even Hayama would react this furiously unless I really hurt his friend. If he was angry enough to hit me, I wonder how miserable Shiori felt after our falling out.

"So all of this… Was just to get revenge on me for hurting a friend of yours?"

Hayama stared at the clear blue sky, refraining from looking at me.

"If you had friends you'd understand."

Ouch. But I guess his argument is valid. I didn't have any friends to get angry for. I had no one I could even think to avenge. Sometimes I think it would be cool if I did, but I don't think I'd be able to find someone I would've done that for.

"Don't string either of them along…" He murmured.

"Who?"

"Yukinoshita Yukino or Shiori Rai."

"How could I string them along?"

Hayama chuckled as he fixed his gaze on me.

"You must be stupid to think they don't have feelings for you."

I didn't reply to that. Of course I would have thoughts of improbable possibilities of girls liking me. As an adolescent boy, I practically fantasized about almost every girl and what would happen if I became their boyfriend. The only difference from me and other teenage dudes was the fact that I didn't dwell on these thoughts. I thought about them but I didn't wish for them to come true. I kept them in the "fantastic world of Hachiman".

"Go for Rai."

"Excuse me?"

"She's great. She's the bestest friend I ever had. We were like siblings. She'd be the bestest friend for you too."

"Uh huh. You think so…"

It was Hayama's turn not to reply. He stood up and walked towards me. I held my ground, accepting the potential second punch he'd release. But it didn't come. He merely stood in front of me and stared at me with a determined face.

"I love Yukinoshita. I plan on winning her over and confessing to her before we graduate."

I had a feeling something like that would happen. It was obvious Hayama and Yukinoshita had something between them. They had a past together. I didn't know exactly what it was, but it felt like something happened between them as well.

Hayama looked at me again with a serious expression.

"I'm prepared to face you as my rival, Hikigaya. But I think it would be best if you just reconcile with Rai. Leave Yukinoshita to me."

What is this? Are you making these girls look like things we trade? Oh, I'll trade you this B-cup tsundere for that A-cup yandere! Shit like that shouldn't happen. I know girls can be bitches, but I think that's taking things too far.

"I'm pretty sure I love Yukinoshita more than you do." Hayama deadpanned.

"Who said I liked her in the first place?"

"Exactly."

Hayama looked away from me and began walking back into the building.

"Just figure out what you really desire, Hikitani-kun."

* * *

"Hikki? You're spacing out."

I was jolted out of my deep thinking by Yuigahama nudging me with her elbow. We were sitting side by side on my favorite hiding spot, an isolated stairwell that was open to the afternoon breeze. Yuigahama stared at me with a slightly worried expression.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" I coughed.

"I was wondering when we plan on going to the mall for our club outing?"

Right. Club outing. Me buying a suit. I completely forgot about that. Pretty sure every reader also forgot since this author takes too long to update. Unless they reread the two previous chapters, y'knoooooow.

"Uh, I don't know myself. We'll ask Yukinoshita later. She's the expert at planning."

Yuigahama nodded silently and began eating once more. Realizing lunch break would end soon, I resumed eating as well.

"It would be great if all this lasted a bit longer." She said with a wishful smile.

I turned my head to look at her. She looked like one of those adults who reminisced about their youthful days. It was weird since I never see Yuigahama acting this way.

"We still have an entire year before graduation. Plus, you can just take their email addresses or something" I pointed out.

Her hair bobbed left and right as she began shaking her head.

"It'll be different. After graduation, most of us will probably not talk again."

That was true. Even in this day and age with all these communication programs and social network sites, I doubt anyone can say they keep in touch with most of their classmates. People come and go. That's life.

"I just like how everything is now." She said as she finished packing her bento.

I chuckled as I threw the empty disposable bento at the garbage can.

Yuigahama pouted at me.

"Why are you laughing at me…"

"I just didn't think you'd ever get so dramatic and sad." I said, standing up.

Yuigahama puffed up her cheeks as she looked up at me.

"Meanie."

I shrugged at her apologetically as I extended my hand to help her up.

Yuigahama hesitated first, but in the end, she took my hand.

"Thanks." She said with a wide smile and a slight blush.

I felt her hand on mine and noticed the ring I gave her. Suddenly, I had a brief mental image of a Yuigahama in a wedding gown, walking down the aisle towards an unknown dude who would soon become her husband. Yuigahama was a nice girl, so it only makes sense that she goes with a nice guy. I wondered whether I'd see her get married someday. Or perhaps I'd just cut all contact with her, like the rest of my junior high classmates. Would I regret not seeing her on such a happy day?

"Um… Hikki?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and realized that Yuigahama was beginning to blush furiously. My hand was still gripping hers. Ah… That's bad.

I immediately let go as I averted my gaze and changed the subject.

"Don't get too pessimistic. That's my job."

Yuigahama looked at me both with a blush and a confused look on her face as I began walking up the stairs, heading back to the classroom.

I looked at her and tried giving the least creepy smile I could.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll make sure to keep in contact with you."

Yuigahama was visibly shocked at such a nice thing coming from me. Yes, Yuigahama. I can be nice too. Besides, I guess there's nothing wrong with keeping in contact with my club mate.

She nodded happily as we walked side by side.

"That'd be great, Hikki."

* * *

Time really does move slowly when you want something to end. It took forever for last period to end and for Hiratsuka-sensei to arrive and begin homeroom. Nevertheless, the school day had more or less ended. I don't count club as part of school activities because I just read my books usually during that time.

After a short debrief, Hiratsuka-sensei wrapped up homeroom and the students began taking their leave.

I packed my stuff and also began making my way to the exit.

I had to pick up Shiori from her class room so that I could give her the school tour after all. Though at the start, I really didn't want to do this, now I really wanted to. It was my way to talk with Shiori and perhaps make things right by her. It wasn't a feeling of guilt that burned inside me. It was a feeling of debt. I had to make things right between us.

"Hikki! Let's get to club!" Yuigahama said as she caught up with me.

"I have some errands to run for sensei first."

"Ehh…"

Before we could continue the conversation any further, sensei called me.

"Hikigaya! Get a move on. They're probably dismissed now!"

In response, I gave sensei two thumbs up. I looked back to Yuigahama and bid her farewell.

"Catch you later, Yuigahama."

Yuigahama nodded at me multiple times and gave me a small smile and waved.

"M-m! Bye bye! I'll head to club now."

I left first and waded my way through the crowd of students exiting the room. I walked briskly out and towards the direction of Shiori's room. From the corner of my eye I saw Hayama leaving as well, probably heading to club. Our secret conversation popped up in my head for a while before I shook it off. I get it brain. I get it.

* * *

As I walked towards Shiori's classroom, I began thinking of potential ways I could clear the air between us. If she was still playing the "I don't know what you're talking about" card, then I don't know what I'd do. Perhaps I should just pretend we only met today. Maybe that's what she wants. Maybe I should grovel down to her feet and beg for forgiveness and give my body to her as compensation. Maybe she'll want me to kill myself for hurting such a fine maiden like her. They're girls. They'll ask for anything.

I continued to think about what to do when I arrived at class 3-I. The hallway of the classroom was empty. Being the alpha people of this school, most of the students of that class were probably already at their respective clubs. I heard that class was both efficient and punctual.

Before heading into the classroom, I peeked through the circular window of the sliding door to check the area. You must know you're getting into _before_ you actually get in it.

The room was devoid of all human beings, save for one lone mature looking girl who was wearing slim glasses and had her long brown hair tied to a side ponytail. She was sorting some papers on the tables. If I were to take a guess, she was probably the class representative or something.

I knocked on the door and two seconds later opened it.

As I entered the room, the presumed class rep shot me a surprised stare. Perhaps it was the first time she's seen anyone like me. After all, I'm quite the rare specimen.

"Good afternoon. May I help you?" She smiled as she bowed.

I wasn't used to anyone bowing to me. Heck, even my sly kouhai never shows respect! I stood there gaping at her, my brain slowly processing that action she took.

After bowing, she again, gave me another smile.

Do you work at a maid café? You have the skill to work in one, y'know! I swear if you did I would visit you every weekend. Every other weekend I mean. I don't have enough cash to support weekly visits to those places.

My brain finally finished its computation and I too bowed. Being slightly more formal, I began making conversation.

"P-pardon the intrusion. I come here as Shiori Rai's tour guide."

Her expression seemed to brighten up even more because of those words.

"So you're her tour guide! You're kinda late though. Shiori-san left with Yukinoshita-san a while back." She said as she glanced at the clock.

"Huh? They left together?" I asked, perplexed.

"They were heading to her club for some reason." She nodded.

Yukinoshita and Shiori? Club? Huh?

"Um… Yukinoshita-san's club is—"

I cut her off before she could waste another breath.

"Yeah, I'm in the service club too. I know where it is."

Class rep looked slightly surprised at first but then nodded once more.

"Ah, indeed?"

"Yeah. Is Shiori really with Yukinoshita?"

"They left a while back so they're probably there already."

I nodded in acknowledgment and began making my way out of the room.

"Thanks for the help."

"Good luck with the tour." Class rep said as she waved me goodbye.

In response, I too waved my hand and slid the door shut at the same time. As soon as I heard the door click shut, I immediately bolted for the club room.

* * *

As I semi-ran, multiple thoughts rang through my head. Why did Yukinoshita bring her to the club room? What where they doing there? Why was I _rushing_ to get to the club!?

In no time at all, I reached the club room and stood outside the door. My breathing was shallow and quick. My heart thumped in my chest because of the speed of my walking here. I felt my heart struggle to pump enough blood to the different systems of my body. I wiped the bit of sweat that accumulated on my forehead using the sleeve of my uniform.

Without thinking, I grabbed the handle of the door and slid it open.

I saw three figures sitting near each other on the other end of the long table. They were silently drinking tea. Before I came in, that is. Their attention became centered on me when the door screeched open. Yuigahama, Yukinoshita, and Shiori stared at me.

"Hikigaya-kun."

"Hikki?"

Shiori was the only one who didn't speak. Instead she sat quietly with her arms and legs crossed. She gave me a mischievous grin as if I was a mouse caught in her trap.

In no time at all, I realized exactly what I had gotten myself into.

* * *

 **Sorry for being gone so long without explaining my situation. A lot of you PMed me but I didn't reply. I guess that's because I wanted to update the story first before I chatted with you guys again. That was a mistake on my part. I should've just answered all PMs.**

 **If there's an excuse I'd make. It's this. Life happened. But I don't want to make excuses. I probably had at least an hour everyday to continue writing my story but I got demotivated and distracted for months. I let those things prevent me from continuing my story.**

 **I don't think we need to go into details as to why I didn't continue for a while. You guys probably understand already. But if any of you want, just request it in a review and I'll explain in full detail why I stopped writing for several months.**

 **That's that! Sorry for not updating. I'll try to make updating a habitual thing again. Of course I'd want to update every week or two weeks but I get really busy sometimes. If I leave for a long time again, sorry. I'll try not to though.**

 **I still haven't written enough about Shiori and Hikigaya! I wouldn't dare leave such a character that I could tell more about. Even now, I'm still struggling in writing her. I'd like to give her character, and Hikigaya's, an ending I truly desire.**

 **As always, please leave a review. I love hearing about your thoughts and opinions on the story. Even if you dislike it. Just make sure it's constructive criticism. Not that "this sux" bullshit I keep seeing on other authors' review sections.**

 **Veltus, signing off. (Gosh, this phrase though) XD**

 **P.S. I've got plenty of time this month. So let's hope for a quick update, 'kay? Feel free to PM me as well. Don't have to be about the story. I like chatting with people over the internet. You guys are cool. Also, if you spot any errors in grammar and whatnot, don't be afraid to point it out. I may have missed some stuff.**


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